BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer supported by Warren Buffett, aims to become the largest car company globally by leveraging cost-effective battery production and innovative technology. The company has grown rapidly since its founding in 1995, transitioning from battery production to electric and hybrid vehicles, with notable success in markets such as Europe and China. Despite challenges in the competitive automotive landscape, BYD continues to expand its electric vehicle lineup and production capacity, while also focusing on environmentally friendly battery development.

1. Business Operation Assignment
Case Study Operations Strategy at BYD of China, Electrifying
the World’s Automotive Market
The Chinese company BYD is pursuing electric cars and hopes
to become the world’s largest car company. With the financial
support of American Warren Buffett, the company, which has
only been in existence for a few years mostly making batteries,
has caught the attention of not only Mr. Buffett but also many
in the auto industry. This case examines the favorable
conditions, technology and the operations strategy that are
propelling this Chinese company to the forefront of the not so
distant future of the auto industry. Many Americans and
Europeans have never heard of the Chinese firm called BYD. In
fact, it isn’t really clear what the letters representing the
company’s name stand for, although some joke that recently it
has meant “Bring Your Dollars.” The company’s latest PR
message states that BYD stands for “Build Your Dreams.” BYD
is a public company which started making batteries in 1995.
Although Chinese-made batteries were already available, they
were of poor quality. Imports of higher quality batteries were
available in China mostly from Japan, but they were quite
expensive. To satisfy the need for high quality and low cost
batteries, Wang Chuan-Fu started BYD. Wang, who was a
graduate of the Beijing Non-Ferrous Institute, found his
competitive advantage by studying Japanese batteries and
finding creative ways of making similar batteries at a lower
cost. Wang had been fascinated with batteries as a graduate
student at the Institute and now seeks to take that passion to the
global automobile market.
ELECTRIC AND HYBRID CARS
Electric cars (also known as electric vehicles or EVs) rely
exclusively on battery power. With an all-electric EV there is
no internal combustion engine, muffler, gasoline tank, air and
fuel filters, and other parts needed to run a gasoline powered

2. system. The vehicle itself also produces no tailpipe emissions,
and by getting its power from an efficient utility company,
overall it produces fewer greenhouse gases. This is especially
true if the electricity is produced with nuclear power, clean coal
or natural gas. EVs are also less expensive to fuel on a per mile
basis. Electric cars, however, have a shorter driving range and
are difficult to operate with long distance travel (Exhibit 1).
There are also some safety concerns associated with using a
lithium ion battery, as lithium is a highly reactive material
prone to explosion. EXHIBIT 1 Source:
www.hybridcars.com.This case was prepared by Charles A.
Rarick, Kasia Firlej, and Arifin Angriawan of Purdue University
Calumet and was published in the Journal of the International
Academy for Case Studies 17, no. 1 (January 2011), pp. 19–28.
It was prepared solely to provide materials for class discussion.
The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or
ineffective handling of a managerial situation. It has been
revised by Roger G. Schroeder, 2016 and is reprinted with
permission. Hybrid vehicles run on battery power until the
battery reaches exhaustion and then a gas-powered engine Page
411 kicks in to power the vehicle and to recharge the battery.
Given the relatively short driving range of EV vehicles, hybrid
vehicles have been the logical first step towards all electric cars
and the replacement of the internal combustion engine. Hybrid
cars became hot selling items when the price of gasoline soared
in 2008, and then fell back sharply as the price of gasoline fell.
Some have proposed that electric vehicles can save the U.S.
auto industry. According to Andy Grove (of Intel fame),
“batteries will become a competitive advantage for the
automakers of the future.” He supports a position whereby the
government takes a more active role in promoting and
protecting an “infant industry” in new battery technology. The
Obama administration took steps in 2009 to provide significant
funding of battery research and the production of
environmentally friendly automobiles. New mileage standards
were also proposed that will make electric vehicles more

3. attractive to consumers. Since about 2009 many companies have
begun to think electric automobiles will have a promising
future. In addition to the world’s largest automakers that begun
to develop electrical cars, some upstarts were established. Ford,
Nissan, Chevrolet, Toyota, Daimler Benz, and Volkswagen all
moved into the EV or hybrid market. The success or failure of
electric cars and the companies that enter this market is strongly
related to the batteries that will power the vehicles. Sales
growth of hybrid and all electric vehicles is slow due to the
high price tags, low battery mileage on a single charge and the
relatively low price of gasoline, particularly in the U.S.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BATTERY
Lithium ion is the current choice for batteries to power electric
cars. Lithium ion batteries are lighter and more powerful than
traditional batteries. Lithium, a metal compound, can be found
in large quantities in South America, especially in Bolivia,
Chile, and Argentina. Chile is currently the world’s largest
producer of lithium; however, Bolivia has the largest known
deposits of lithium in the Salar de Uyuni region. It is estimated
that the lithium supply in Bolivia is somewhere around 5.4
billion tons. Significant deposits of lithium can also be found in
China. The Chinese government has declared the lithium battery
industry to be a “strategic industry” and will likely support its
development. While lithium batteries are currently the most
popular option for automobiles, they are still heavy and
expensive. For example, the Chevy Volt, a hybrid car, has a
battery that is six feet long and weighs around 400 pounds. The
cost of an electric car battery is in the range of $10,000–
$20,000 each. Lithium batteries can store up to three times the
power of nickel-metal hydride batteries. They are clearly
superior to conventional batteries. Further advances in lithium
battery production may be able to produce smaller, lighter, and
faster charging batteries. At least one reported research study
shows this promising development. BYD’s advantage in this
technology is the production of ferrous lithium ion batteries,
which are safer and cost about half of those of the competition,

4. according to BYD’s general manager of its Export Trade
Division, Henry Z. Li. The United States is still behind Asia in
battery production and research. Sanyo, NEC, BYD and LG
created core competencies in batteries and achieved economies
of scale that will require the Americans some time to catch up
with. U.S. firms in the industry are relatively small upstarts
such as EnrDel. Even the Chevy Volt is powered by a Korean
company, Compact Power, with a plant in Michigan. Serious
movement into electric vehicles will require investment money,
long term commitment and strategic alliances. Nissan has
partnered with NEC to allocate $1B towards battery
development. Toyota-controlled Panasonic EV Energy recently
bought Sanyo for its battery making ability. Recently,
promising U.S. companies have arisen to research and develop
batteries needed to fuel electric cars. EnrDel already operates
two factories in Indiana and one in Korea. In 2016 Tesla opened
a gigifactory battery plant in Utah that can eventually supply
500,000 batteries per year. The Big Three: General Motors,
Chrysler and Ford, have been considering alternative vehicles
since the 70s, however among the Big Three there is still a lack
of momentum about this technology and its useful application in
the U.S. automotive market, particularity for all electric
vehicles. EXHIBIT 2 Key players in the electric auto battery
industry, 2009. A123 (USA) M.I.T. spin-off with $250M in
venture capital AESC (Japan) Joint venture between Nissan and
NEC BYD (China) Largest battery producer in China ENERDEL
(USA) Once part of Delphi. Invested $200M in Indiana plant
Johnson Controls/SAFT (USA/France) Joint venture with plant
in France LG (Korea) Leading producer of lithium ion batteries
for cell phones Panasonic (Japan) Owns Sanyo Electric, the
largest producer of rechargeable batteries. Source: P. Engardio,
K. Hall, I. Rowley, D. Welch, and F. Balfour, “The Electric Car
Battery War,” BusinessWeek, February 23, 2009, pp. 52–54.
Page 412 It seems that BYD is moving much faster and much
more aggressively in the direction of introducing electric
vehicles. Its all electric e6 model was released at the end of

5. 2009 and is much more competitively priced than the offerings
of its Western competitors. Furthermore, BYD has tapped into a
cost innovation strategy by reducing manufacturing costs
through reverse engineering the expensive Japanese battery
models and substituting the expensive raw materials with
cheaper substitutes. The e6 is a big seller in Europe with its
innovative iron-phosphate battery, zero emissions and the
ability to go 300 km on a single charge.
BYD
BYD captured international attention when Berkshire Hathaway
bought a 10 percent interest in the company. Warren Buffett
wanted to buy 25 percent of the company, but BYD refused the
offer. A company known for being cost-conscious and frugal,
BYD has consistently been profitable. Located in Shenzhen, a
manufacturing megacity better known for electronics, the
company gained a competitive advantage by finding creative
and innovative ways to manufacture batteries of high quality at
costs lower than rival Japanese and American brands. The
founder of the firm bet on the substitution of low-cost labor for
expensive machinery, and attention to detail, and these
strategies have proven to be successful. By 2000, BYD had
become the biggest producer of cell phone batteries. BYD raised
capital through a public stock offering on the Hong Kong Stock
Exchange in order to increase the size of its battery business. In
2003 company founder, Wang had the opportunity to purchase a
failing state-owned automobile manufacturer. He thought that
the company could leverage its battery competence in the auto
industry by producing electric cars. While many thought that
BYD was making a mistake in moving into automobiles, others
thought differently. As Joann Muller of Forbes magazine stated
in 2004: “In the vast and looming Chinese automobile market
now dominated by foreigners, a small Chinese company called
BYD is barely noticeable . . . Amateur hour maybe, yet it would
be foolhardy for General Motors, Volkswagen and other foreign
makers to ignore Chinese companies like BYD.” (Muller p.76).
It appears that she was right. With the capital injection from

6. Berkshire Hathaway and a focus on an increasing share of the
auto market, BYD has positioned itself well to compete
internationally. BYD seeks to position itself as an innovator and
to tap into the growing green business by not only producing
electric automobiles, but also making its batteries
environmentally friendly. BYD is producing batteries that
contain nontoxic fluids and thus do less harm to the
environment, if the battery is discarded instead of being
recycled. In addition to being environmentally friendly, BYD
believes that it has made a major breakthrough in battery
technology which will produce a longer lasting charge and
allow the battery to be recharged numerous times, at the same
time keeping the costs significantly lower than those of its
competition. The U.S. Department of Energy is studying the
claim made by BYD concerning its new battery technology. In
2009 BYD operated eleven factories and employed 130,000,
with most production facilities in China, but also operated
factories in India, Hungary, and Romania. BYD employees,
including engineers and scientists typically live on the company
grounds with BYD providing housing and other living expenses.
The labor cost is a fraction of the costs found in the United
States or Europe. BYD has two offices in the United States,
both close to important customers. BYD offices can be found in
Elk Grove, Illinois and San Francisco, California, based on the
location of its two major U.S. customers, Motorola and Apple.
Most of the firm’s revenue comes from cell phones,
components, and batteries, but automobile sales have been
playing an increasingly significant role (Exhibit 3). EXHIBIT 3
BYD revenue by segment, 2008. Source: A. Grove, “Andy
Grove on Battery Power,” Fortune 62, April 27, 2009. Revenue
has increased consistently, and with the exception of 2005,
BYD has had consistent profitability (Exhibits 4 and 5). BYD
has achieved an impressive record in its short life utilizing low
labor costs, little outsourcing, and successful innovation. The
company is transferring its cutting edge technology innovation
to the automotive market and at the same time closely following

7. the global trends in green marketing that focus on a higher level
of cost consciousness. BYD was named the second most
innovative company in China in 2009 by Fast Company
magazine. EXHIBIT 4 BYD revenue. Source: A. Grove, “Andy
Grove on Battery Power,” Fortune 62, April 27, 2009. EXHIBIT
5 BYD net profit. Source: A. Grove, “Andy Grove on Battery
Power,” Fortune 62, April 27, 2009. In 2009 BYD produced a
number of vehicles including the F3DM—DM stands for dual
mode, which means Page 413 that the car can run on dual
energy sources. The environment-friendly battery can be fully
charged in as little as an hour. This model sold in China for
around US$22,000. This hybrid car can travel 62 miles on a
single charge and is the first mass produced plugin hybrid in the
world. The difference between it and the Toyota Prius is that it
is less expensive, has a very small engine and relies
significantly on battery power, cutting down the costs of
utilization and its carbon footprint. Update to 2015. BYD is the
largest EV manufacturer worldwide1 For the month of October,
2015 BYD had the largest sales of all-electric EV vehicles in
the world with total sales of 6,099 EV units. October capped a
yearlong increase in sales for 2015 making BYD the world
leader in units sold of 43,069 from January to October 2015.
This represents a 22 percent increase compared to the same
period last year. BYD had an 11 percent share of the global
market as shown in the following chart. Global Sales of EV (all-
electric) Vehicles Ranking Manufacturer October 2015 YTD
Market Share Position in 2014 1 BYD 6,099 43,069 11 7 2
Nissan 3,115 42,012 11 1 3 Mitsubishi 4,144 36,623 9 2 4 Tesla
3,349 36,312 9 3 5 VW 3,774 27,755 7 11 6 BMW 2,937 25,470
7 9 7 Renault 2,568 20,136 5 8 8 Kendi 5,081 17,201 4 10 9
Ford 1,776 17,117 4 5 10 Zotye 2,609 15,384 4 13 Note: Toyota
Prius and Chevy Volt are not listed; they are hybrid cars and not
EVs. BYD climbed from seventh to first place in the world due
to a carefully planned strategy of new model introductions. The
launch of a sedan, the Qin, gave BYD a competitive passenger
model first introduced in 2013. They also launched a new

8. hybrid SUV model, the Tang, in June 2015 to meet the
company’s 542 performance claims: “5” means reaching 100
km/h in 5 seconds, “4” means four wheel drive and “2” means
fuel efficiency of 100 km with less than 2 liters of gasoline.
Next, BYD plans to introduce the Song and Yuan models to its
lineup. Page 414 BYD Tang SUV© Imagine china via AP
Images In all of 2015 BYD delivered 62,000 EV vehicles,
almost entirely in China. The company projects it could sell
nearly two to three times this number in 2016. Vehicles with
combustion engines are being penalized by the Chinese
government through taxes, rebates, and registration privileges.
Incentives in China for electric cars are being fueled by
government efforts to reduce greenhouse gases and hazardous
air pollution in Chinese cities. Globally, BYD will deliver
nearly 6000 electric buses in 2016, with about 300 zero-
emission electric buses scheduled to be built in 2016 from
BYD’s North American factory—the Bus & Coach Factory in
Lancaster, California. These numbers alone (6000 in one year)
make BYD the largest manufacturer of electric buses worldwide
and surpassed the entire U.S. 2015 bus market volumes. In 2015
BYD corporate sales totaled US$12 billion and net income was
423 million. Electric vehicles were approximately 25 percent of
the sales.
CONCLUSION
BYD is attempting to leverage its core competencies in battery
production and development to meet the future needs of the
driving public. It believes that the future of the auto industry
will be in electric vehicles. In order for electric cars to replace
gasoline powered ones, infrastructural changes will have to be
made to quickly charge depleted batteries, much like present
day gasoline stations. Another possibility would be a battery
replacement station in which a depleted battery is quickly
replaced with a fully charged one. Such battery changing
stations are currently being developed in Japan, Denmark, U.S.,
and Israel. While Mr. Buffet may agree with BYD’s vision of
the future, the company faces many challenges as it attempts to

9. compete with the world’s largest automakers. Operations and
supply chain managers wondered what the high growth and
innovative technology business strategy meant for them. They
needed to develop an operations and supply chain strategy that
was consistent with this business strategy. It would start with a
mission and objectives, along with major decisions to keep up
with the growth and technology changes. This would require
systems and processes that could be scalable for high-volume
production. Capacity would have to be managed and located to
support business growth. Perhaps short supply chains with local
suppliers are needed. The challenges facing operations and
supply chain strategy were indeed considerable.
Schroeder, R. G., Goldstein, S. M., & Rungusanatham, M. J.
(2018). Operations management in the supply chain: Decisions
and cases (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.