Elon Musk has mocked the Chinese automaker.he doesn’t smile now

Back in 2011, when Elon Musk was asked in an interview what he thought of Chinese automaker BYD and its ability to challenge Tesla, he laughed. However, after 12 years of interviewing, he now thinks quite differently. Musk believes BYD’s cars are now highly competitive, as he wrote in one of his tweets.

Also read: Amid Tesla’s price war, India’s BYD Seal EV cuts price in China

This isn’t the first time Elon Musk has expressed admiration for the Chinese automaker. In January, Musk was asked to name Tesla’s strongest competitor. The Tesla CEO mentioned some Chinese companies but did not name them. “They work the hardest, they work the smartest. So if I were to guess, some companies outside of China would most likely be second only to Tesla,” Musk said. Although he did not mention any companies by name, he may be referring to the brands of well-known Chinese electric car manufacturers such as BYD, Nio and Xpeng.

A Twitter user recently posted an old interview video from 2011 and tagged Elon Musk, in which the Tesla CEO replied: “That was many years ago. Today, their cars are extremely powerful.” Competitive.” Musk clarified that a lot has changed since then, and BYD Auto is impressive now.

Musk’s comments come as BYD and other Chinese electric carmakers are seen as threats to traditional automakers. In addition to grabbing a large chunk of China’s domestic market, BYD is also rapidly expanding its market share globally. In fact, the automaker has already launched two EVs in India as well. BYD has become the first Chinese automaker to launch its electric vehicle, the E6 MPV, in India. Later, the company also launched the Atto 3 EV. Now, the automaker is developing a third product for the Indian market, the Seal electric sedan.

First published date: May 30, 2023 at 12:05pm CST