Exclusive: BYD executive urges unity across EV industry

CGTN Europe

Chinese EV manufacturer BYD is pushing into the UK market further by launching the full electric model Sealion 7. But with U.S. tariffs disrupting the global market, Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD, insists businesses should pull together and not create barriers.

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00:00I think any protection and adding tariff is a short term and the long term will not benefit

00:07for consumer, will not benefit for the OEM too.

00:10I think we came to focus on bringing the affordable technology to everybody and bring the best

00:17service to everybody, but at the same time BYD started opening our manufacturing site

00:24in Hungary.

00:25By the end of this year, our local production will start.

00:30Tesla has been facing a lot of backlash from consumers, for example in Europe.

00:35Do you think BYD has benefited from that?

00:39We don't view it this way.

00:41I think for the whole EV industry, we need everybody in.

00:46We need everybody to work together to really push in this market.

00:50We're going to have more cooperation with different auto brands in different regions.

00:55BYD has already got a strong foothold in markets like South America, Middle East and Africa.

01:03How do you want to conquer Europe?

01:05We just bring more like a premium market, premium products to Europe.

01:12Actually in Europe, everybody really has a very good sense to protect the environment.

01:19So then they need a better car and a more reliable electric car to help them to achieve

01:27their dream to protect the environment.

01:30We'll bring an accessible car, like our Auto 2, we're launching in Europe now and in the

01:36future will be in the UK.

01:38But recently the European Union announced to slow the pace for electrification by relaxing

01:46emission rules for combustion engines.

01:48Are you concerned about that?

01:50Every single government, they should have a sustainable future because if you swing

01:55back and forth, then you will damage the local OEM, you will damage the OEM for their future

02:02investment.

02:03Then this will, in the long term scope, it will harm really this kind of companies for

02:10their competitiveness.

02:12That's what will be the challenge.

02:14There's a Chinese proverb.

02:16It takes 10 years to forge a perfect sword.

02:21So what do you expect the next milestone to be for BYD in the next decade?

02:26We want to build the most admired brand globally.

02:31So to make BYD become internationally well-known brand in every single region is our task.

02:41Next 10 years, if you walk on the street, you ask who is BYD?

02:45I hope everybody will say, oh yeah, they're the best technology company.

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