At a time when the electric vehicle sector is experiencing a state of anticipation and a contrast between optimism and caution, the Chinese company BYD has emerged as a remarkable exception, after it succeeded in redrawing the map of global competition, surpassing the American company Tesla, and sitting on the throne of the largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the world during 2025.
From the heart of the World Government Summit 2026 in Dubai, Stella Lee, Executive Vice President of BYD, appeared in her first television interview with an Arab channel, via Sky News Arabia, to reveal the behind-the-scenes details of this rapid rise, the vision that guides the company, and its future plans that take Dubai and the Emirates as a platform for a new global launch.
During her conversation with journalist Lubna Bouza, she confirmed to me that what BYD has achieved cannot be described as a surprise, stressing that innovation within the company is not a temporary goal or a marketing ambition, but rather a nature rooted in the work culture from day one.
The most important points Stella Lee emphasized in the interview:
BYD sold approximately 2.26 million electric vehicles in 2025, surpassing Tesla to become the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer in terms of sales.
The company employs more than 120,000 research and development engineers and registers 52 patents daily, reflecting the scale of its sustained investment in innovation.
BYD manufactures more than 70 percent of its car components internally, which enabled it to overcome supply chain crises during the pandemic without disrupting production.
BYD has been adding nearly 1.3 million cars annually over the past three years, in an industrial expansion that is among the largest in the world.
The 1000 kW instant charging technology allows the car to be charged in 5 minutes for a range of 400–500 kilometers, in a technological investment that is changing the future of electric vehicles.
Outperformed by record numbers
Stella Lee began her talk by referring to the numbers that made the difference, explaining that BYD sold about 2.26 million fully electric cars during 2025, a figure that enabled it to take the global lead, ahead of its closest competitors.
She explained that this superiority was not the result of one factor, but rather the result of three main pillars: continuous innovation, advanced technology, and huge manufacturing capacity, stressing that these three elements work within BYD as one inseparable unit.
She added that the company does not see itself as a traditional car company, but rather as a company of engineers first and foremost, revealing that BYD has more than 120,000 engineers working in the research and development sector, and they register approximately 52 patents daily, a number that reflects an unprecedented pace in the automotive industry.
She emphasized to me that this innovative momentum is what made BYD's transition from the world of batteries and electronics to leading electric cars a natural thing, and not a sudden leap.
BYD in your daily life
In explaining this shift, Lee pointed out that BYD is not a new name in consumers’ lives, even if many are unaware of it, explaining that about a third of smartphone components globally, or their assembly processes, pass through BYD factories.
She added that the company has played a pivotal role in the consumer electronics industry for decades, giving it deep expertise in precision manufacturing, supply chain management, and quality control – skills that have transferred seamlessly to the electric vehicle sector.
She emphasized that this industrial expansion has enabled BYD to think of the car not just as a means of transportation, but as an integrated technological product that combines energy, intelligence, and software.
The dream of clean mobility
Going back to the beginning, Stella Lee recalled joining BYD in 1996, just one year after its founding, when the company was still small and specialized in battery manufacturing.
She said that BYD started by supplying the markets with emergency lamp batteries and remote control toys, before quickly making its way into the world of mobile phones, later becoming a major supplier to Nokia and Motorola, where it produced nearly 60 percent of Nokia's phones and batteries at one point.
She emphasized to me that the company's strategic vision has not changed since then, explaining that the dream of producing electric cars has been present since day one, even in periods when the world was not yet ready for this transformation.
She added that early belief in this future is what gave BYD a competitive advantage when the world actually began moving towards clean energy.
Vertical integration
Speaking about the secret to resilience during global crises, she explained to me that BYD adopts a deep vertical integration model, where it manufactures more than 70 percent of its car components internally, from batteries and drive systems to chips and software.
She added that this model proved decisively effective during the COVID-19 pandemic, when major companies suffered from supply chain disruptions and semiconductor shortages, while BYD was able to weather the crisis with minimal losses.
She revealed that, at the height of the crisis, the company was able to qualify new suppliers in just two weeks, which allowed it to maintain its production pace, and even increase it at times.
Our engineers are crazy!
In an example reflecting the culture of innovation within BYD, Stella Lee recounted the story of the development of the Yangwang Extreme, which she described as the fruit of a crazy idea put forward by a group of young engineers.
She said that these engineers made a bold request to the chairman of the board to build a car with 3,000 horsepower, and despite the strangeness of the idea, they got the green light.
She added that the team succeeded in just six months in turning the idea into a real car, before taking it to the testing tracks in Germany, where it achieved two world championships in its category, stressing that the car is not a prototype, but a complete commercial product.
She described BYD engineers to me as the happiest in the world, because they work in an environment that allows engineering dreams to be turned into tangible reality.
Shipping… the end of global worries
Regarding what is known as the electric vehicle winter, or periods of stagnation, Stella Lee confirmed that she does not share these concerns, considering the slowdown in some markets to be temporary, and related to regulatory factors and government support more than to weak real demand.
She unveiled technologies she described as game-changing, most notably Flash Charging technology with a power of up to 1000 kilowatts.
She explained that this technology allows the car to be charged in just 5 minutes to travel a distance of between 400 and 500 kilometers, while charging for two to three minutes provides a range of between 300 and 400 kilometers.
Stella Lee also explained that BYD has developed smart solutions that combine driving pleasure with economic efficiency, especially for those who drive long distances such as overland trips from Dubai to Saudi Arabia.
She pointed out that the DM-i smart hybrid car transforms during long journeys into a low-cost vehicle with limited fuel consumption, practically operating as a plug-in hybrid system, while relying on pure electric driving mode for daily use.
She added that the company has already launched in Europe and the Arabian Gulf region a model that, with a single electric charge and one fuel tank, can travel a distance exceeding 1,500 kilometers, stressing that this achievement represents a real transformation in the concept of long-distance travel in smart cars, especially in areas with vast distances and harsh climatic conditions.
She added that this development will make the process of charging an electric car almost identical to the speed of refueling with conventional fuel, putting a definitive end to one of the biggest concerns of consumers around the world.
Expansion plans
Regarding expansion plans outside of China, she assured me that the goal of selling 1.3 million cars annually in overseas markets is no longer just an ambition, but a realistic path supported by technologies and products.
She explained that BYD cars today are no longer just a means of transportation, but rather smart mobile platforms that offer features such as karaoke, ordering coffee, and using the car as a power source for cooking during outdoor trips.
She revealed a special focus on the Gulf region, where the company’s engineers are working on integrating an electronic gaming system into the car, after noticing the passion of young people and women for digital games, with this system to be launched within 3 to 4 months.
At the same time, she stressed that safety comes first, confirming that playing will be prohibited while driving, in compliance with international standards, even with the development of self-driving systems.
The desert is not an obstacle
Regarding doubts about the performance of Chinese cars in harsh environments, she assured me that BYD has developed technologies specifically for the Gulf region, including:
The DM-i hybrid system provides a driving range of up to 1,500 kilometers on a single charge with the fuel tank.
Advanced thermal performance ensures a range of up to 900 kilometers in high temperatures.
The Denza B5 and B8 cars, which she described as road monsters, confirming that she personally tested them in the desert, where they combine power, luxury and safety.
New Silicon Valley
At the end of the dialogue, Stella Lee described the UAE as the Silicon Valley of the world, praising the spirit of innovation and energy that characterizes its economic environment.
She revealed exclusively to Sky News Arabia a secret project that BYD is working on in cooperation with Emirati authorities, which aims to use Dubai as a platform to break a new world record in the world of cars.
She emphasized that BYD engineers view the UAE as the land of the future, not just as a market, but as a global laboratory for bold ideas.
Lee concluded by referring to the U8 model, which is capable of swimming and rotating around itself, describing it as one of the safest and most powerful cars in the world.
