BYD overtakes Tesla and Kia as the best-selling EV brand in key overseas markets

BYD’s EV rise and product appeal

• Many note BYD’s rapid growth, citing strong value, features, and quality, especially in Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia; some say in local markets dealerships are “full” and BYD cabs/buses are ubiquitous.
• Buyers praise price–feature balance (range, 800V platforms, rich safety/infotainment, V2L) versus similarly priced Western EVs; some pick BYD over legacy brands or Tesla.
• Others are skeptical about long‑term quality, software polish, climate control, and driver‑assist behavior, and want more data before equating BYD with top Japanese reliability.

Protectionism, tariffs, and “free markets”

• BYD is effectively absent from the US due to 100% tariffs, looming bans, and national‑security rhetoric about data collection via connected cars.
• Commenters highlight US auto protectionism history (chicken tax, safety rules, import limits) and argue the “free market” label is selective.
• China is described as highly protectionist too: joint‑venture requirements, industrial policy, and large subsidies; Tesla’s China factory is seen as a special exception.
• Debate centers on whether excluding Chinese EVs protects national security/industry or just entrenches domestic oligopolies and raises prices.

Industrial strategy, energy, and infrastructure

• Several frame BYD as emblematic of China’s successful industrial policy (mass engineer training, directed subsidies, domestic competition) versus US focus on finance, services, and data centers.
• Others stress China’s ongoing coal dependence, overcapacity, ghost cities, local debt, youth unemployment, and demographic “4‑2‑1” problems.
• China’s rapid build‑out of renewables and high‑speed rail is contrasted with perceived US underinvestment in infrastructure; some warn of future maintenance “catabolic collapse.”

Geopolitics, governance, and rights

• Strong disagreement over how much China’s human‑rights record (Uyghurs, censorship, lack of protest rights) should affect purchasing decisions; some argue US abuses undercut moral high ground.
• Concerns raised about Chinese industrial “hegemony,” IP theft, and using EV fleets as intelligence assets; others note Western IP abuses and say copying/iteration can accelerate innovation.
• Some see US tariffs and bans as evidence of relative decline and risk of sliding toward more China‑like authoritarianism; others say “US decline” is exaggerated.

Implications for legacy automakers and consumers

• Commenters argue US and European makers largely abandoned affordable EVs and small cars, focusing on trucks/SUVs and luxury EVs; BYD exposes that gap.
• Some welcome Chinese competition as the only force likely to push incumbents to improve; others prefer slower innovation to increased Chinese leverage over critical industries.