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He BYD test track in Zhengzhou It has a 29-meter interior dune certified by Guinness, a 70-meter pool for its amphibious cars, layouts off-road and an impeccable asphalt circuit to step on the accelerator. All designed to impress. And it works. More than a hundred journalists from America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa were summoned to witness an exhibition of strength. There were no big product announcements. The message was different: BYD no longer plays in the league of aspirants. He sits at the table of the giants, he knows it and enjoys it calmly. If the circuit was the muscle, Stella Li was the brain exposed to the media. During the session with three dozen international journalists, the Xataka Legend 2025 He responded bluntly about tariffs, global strategy, competition with Tesla and the future of the combustion engine. And it did so from a position of unprecedented confidence: BYD has sold more than 3.7 million “new energy” vehicles (NEV) as of October 2025. It is the world’s number one in BEV and PHEV combined. In September, it reached third place in global automobile sales – all technologies included –, only behind Toyota and Volkswagen. “Our growth is not a coincidence. We are a technology company that manufactures cars, not the other way around“Li emphasized during his previous speech. BYD employs more than 120,000 engineers and files dozens of patent applications every day. Europe, tariffs and the factory that changes everything When asked about European tariffs – which penalize Chinese electric companies – Li was direct: “The Hungarian factory will be operational at the end of this year. The impact of the tariffs will be zero in the short term. We will be a European manufacturer.” It was a response loaded with symbolism. BYD does not avoid the trade conflict but neutralizes it with local investment. And it is not the only front. Li confirmed that after Hungary will come plants in Brazil, Türkiye and other strategic markets. The lesson is clear: BYD builds where it sells. But Europe will not be just battery and volume. Li announced that YangWang, BYD’s luxury brand, will arrive in 2026, although without specifying models. “We want to bring premium PHEV technology to the market,” he said. “We are still defining which model will be first, but it will be something that the competition cannot ignore.” The veiled reference to the German BMW-Mercedes-Audi trident did not go unnoticed. One of the most interesting revelations of the session was BYD’s dual strategy in Europe. The brand started with a 100% electric bet (BEV), but now openly embraces PHEV technology as a workhorse. “In China, more than 50% of NEV vehicle sales are PHEVs,” Li said. “In some cities, it exceeds 60%. Consumers choose technology DMi because it is better: electric autonomy for everyday life, a combustion engine for long trips, and lower fuel consumption than any conventional hybrid.” The technology that changes the rules DMi 5.0 technology allows consumption of 2.6 liters per 100 km and combined ranges of up to 2,100 km with a single tank and one charge. In Europe, the Signal 6 DMi offers 1,500 km. “It is the perfect solution for markets where charging infrastructure is still limited,” he added. Is the combustion engine going to disappear? “Not in the next few years,” he answered without hesitation. “But in the future. Once more people experience DMi or BEV, the fate will be clear.” Asked about Tesla and the race for world number one, Li avoided the confrontation: “We are not obsessed with rankings. Tesla focuses on pure BEVs, we offer more options. “We believe in coexistence, even cooperation.” In fact, BYD already supplies batteries to other manufacturers. “We are not just a car brand,” Li recalled. “We produce batteries for energy storage, electronic components… You use BYD products in your daily life without knowing it.” That diversification is your secret weapon. The usual thing is to depend on external suppliers, but BYD controls the entire value chain: Blade batteries, motors, electronic platforms, semiconductors… Vertical integration as immunity to supply interruptions. Regarding the brutal price war in China, Li was cautious but realistic: “The competition is bloody. But BYD does not compete only on price. We compete on technology, experience, ecosystem.” How many Chinese brands will survive? “Too many are competing now. I don’t know how many will be left. But I know that competition makes us better.” The issue of national competition is not trivial: there are a brutal number of brands and it seems unlikely that all of them will have a place in a future that points to consolidation thanks to mergers, acquisitions of smaller ones and perhaps others that cannot survive directly. The record that is not just marketing If there were any doubts about BYD’s ambitions in the premium segment, the YangWang U9 Xtreme put them to rest. The electric supercar reached 496.22 km/h on the ATP Automotive Testing Circuit Papenburg (Germany) in September, becoming the fastest production car on the planetdisplacing Bugatti. Driving it in Zhengzhou, although limited to a maximum peak of 160 km/h for safety, was brutal. Total silence, instant thrust, space launch feeling. It is a car that It has a profit above its own sales: It serves to demonstrate that BYD can manufacture whatever it sets its mind to. A few years ago BYD manufactured cheap cars of dubious quality, today they are behind that missile called YangWang U9 and its record: it is the fastest production car in the world thanks to its 496.22 km/h. Image: Xataka. Among all the technologies on display, one stood out for its potential impact: Flash Charging, BYD’s ultra-fast charging infrastructure. With a voltage of 1,000 V and batteries integrated into the stations, the system promises up to 2 km of autonomy per second of charging. And in five minutes, 400 km. “Recharging will be as fast as refueling,” Li promised. Of course, with double hose. And here comes the play: BYD will install … Read more