How China built BYD, its Tesla killer

China’s BYD was a battery manufacturer trying its hand at building cars when it showed off its newest model in 2007. American executives at the Guangzhou auto show gaped at the car’s uneven purple paint job and the poor fit of its doors.

“They were the laughingstock of the industry,” said Michael Dunne, a China auto industry analyst.

Nobody is laughing at BYD now.