Imagine being Toyota, the giant of the auto industry, and getting shocked by Chinese automaker BYD’s work methods! It used to take four to five years to develop a car, but today, in the electric vehicle era, Chinese makers like BYD manage to develop a model in just two years. Toyota, known for its precision and caution, was stunned by the speed and agility of BYD’s engineers. While Toyota builds six prototypes and tests them tens of thousands of kilometers, BYD works 12 hours a day, six days a week, uses fewer prototypes, and relies on computer simulations and artificial intelligence. Their philosophy is “move fast, take risks, and launch early,” fixing flaws later with software updates. The BZ3 sedan, a Toyota-BYD collaboration, features BYD’s Blade LFP battery and offers a range of about 600 kilometers on the Chinese CLTC cycle, priced at just around $27,000 before incentives! While Toyota still holds its reputation for reliability, BYD is conquering the market with speed and innovation, exporting its electric vehicles worldwide and employing nearly as many people as Toyota and Volkswagen combined. This is a true revolution in the auto industry, and traditional makers must adapt or perish. Who’s the real champ here? Old-school Toyota or the young, fast BYD? Share your thoughts — maybe you’ll be the next to snag an electric car at a price that sounds like a joke!
