Cheat sheet: Five things to know about BYD

1. It takes confidence to name your company: “Build Your Dreams” (BYD). But that wasn’t the original name. In Chinese it’s Bi Ya Di, apparently chosen for its simplicity.

2. Worldwide, BYD sales are second only to Tesla. Adding in hybrids, BYD’s 1.9 million cars even trump Tesla’s 1.3 million. 

3. Founded in 1995, its workforce may soon overtake traditional car makers. BYD employs 570,000 people worldwide, while VW has 675,000.

4.  BYD’s superpowers are low-cost production and lots of innovation. It spent $4.2 billion on research in the last financial year, including on batteries. 

5. Is it even a car company? BYD started as a battery maker, then added cars, while its competitors are car companies that buy batteries.