Build Your Dreams: New Energy Cars for the World--BYD Auto Co. Ltd Approach for Branding Chinese Cars Globally

As the second leading independent car manufacturer in China, BYD (Build Your Dreams) aimed to become a recognized global automotive manufacturer by 2025. Having first entered the battery market in 1995 and the mobile phone components market in 2000, BYD entered automotive manufacturing by purchasing the Qinchuan Auto Company in 2002. Though it was a latecomer, BYD went on to lead the “green” initiative in the automotive industry capitalizing on BYD’s greatest strengths in R&D and process improvement it developed in the first two successful divisions. Henry Li, the head of the Auto Export Trade Division at BYD, was convinced that the combination of these assets could help BYD to provide the world with environmentally friendly cars. At the same time, he had the challenge of convincing international customers that this technology coming from China was a cheap and innovative way to bring the automotive world into a greener future.