For subscribers
China’s BYD is overtaking Tesla as the carmaker extraordinaire
It’s the Toyota of electric vehicles
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
BYD is Toyota’s EV partner in China as well as a rising competitor globally.
PHOTO: REUTERS
The Economist
Follow topic:
To get a sense of why Mr Akio Toyoda announced on Jan 26 that he would hand over the keys to the world’s biggest carmaker to Mr Koji Sato, his No. 2, watch the surreal video from 2021 of the two of them driving Toyota’s first Lexus electric vehicle (EV).
Mr Toyoda is at the wheel. At first, it is clear that he is a bit of an EV sceptic: He notes that the car feels heavy to drive. Then he puts his foot to the floor, and as the speed picks up, he whoops with joy like an overexcited Top Gun pilot.
