BYD says it does not need the US to grow

When fuelfuel: A substance such as oil, gas, or coal that is burned to produce heat or energy. — 燃料 prices jumped because of the war in Iran, more people around the world began to look at electric cars. Chinese car makersmaker: A person or company that makes something — 制造商 want to make the most ofmake the most of: use (an opportunity) as fully as possible — 充分利用 this chance. China is the top maker of EVs in the world. Its companies are still shut out ofshut out of: kept from entering or taking part in — 被排斥在……之外 the US market, but they are selling more cars in Asia, Europe and other regions.

BYD is one of the biggest names in this story. Last year it passed Tesla to become the world's largest seller of electric vehicleselectric vehicle: a car powered by batteries instead of petrol or diesel — 电动汽车. Now it is growing fast in many countries. “We survivesurvive: to continue to live after a dangerous event or difficult situation — 幸存；存活 and are successful without the US market today,” said Stella Li, an executive vicevice: immoral or wicked behaviour; a bad habit or personal failing — 恶行；不道德行为；恶习 president at BYD. She spoke to the BBC at the Beijing Auto Show.

Li said the company's main problem is not finding customers — it is making enough cars. “Our demanddemand: An insistent request; the desire of consumers for a particular product or service. — 需求；要求 is much higher than what we can supplysupply: To provide (something), to make (something) available for use — 提供,” she said. Instead of trying to enter the US, BYD is focused on Brazil, the UK and the rest of Europe.

BYD is also bettingbet: To risk money or something of value on the outcome of an event; to feel fairly confident. — 打赌；下注 onbetting on: investing strategy and confidence in (something) in the hope it will succeed — 押注于；寄望于 a new technology called flashflash: A sudden brief burst of bright light; a camera attachment that produces light for photography. — 闪光；闪烁 chargingcharging: An act or process of charging (as of a battery) — 充电flash charging: very fast battery charging that adds significant range in minutes — 闪充；超快充. Li calls it a game-changergame-changer: something that completely changes the way an industry or activity works — 颠覆性突破；改变格局之物. Flash charging can add hundreds of kilometres of rangerange: A variety of different things of the same general type, or the limits between which something varies — 范围；一系列 in just a few minutes. Slow charging has long been a barrierbarrier: An obstacle that prevents movement, progress, or access. — 障碍；壁垒 to adoptionadoption: The act of legally taking another's child as one's own, or the acceptance and implementation of an idea or method. — 收养；采用；采纳barrier to adoption: something that stops people from starting to use a new product or technology — 推广上的障碍 for many drivers, so faster charging may help BYD win new customers.

The Beijing Auto Show is now the largest car event in the world. This year, more than 1,400 vehicles from hundreds of companies were on displaydisplay: To show something publicly; to exhibit a quality or emotion. — 展示；展出, with Chinese makers at the centre.

BYD's growthgrowth: the process of increasing in size, number, or importance — 增长；成长；发展 is happening at a difficult politicalpolitical: Relating to the government, politics, or public affairs of a country. — 政治的 moment. Chinese EV companies face high taxes and regulatoryregulatory: Of or pertaining to regulation — 监管的 scrutinyscrutiny: careful and thorough examination or investigation of something — 仔细审查；详细检查regulatory scrutiny: close examination by government agencies that make and enforce rules — 监管审查 in many countries, especially the US. The US has complained about government subsidiessubsidy: Financial support or assistance, such as a grant — 补贴；津贴government subsidies: money the government gives to companies to help them compete — 政府补贴 from China and worries about data protectionprotection: The act of keeping someone or something safe from harm or damage. — 保护；防护data protection: rules and practices that keep personal information safe from misuse — 数据保护 and national securitysecurity: The state of being safe or protected, or the activities involved in protecting a place — 安全；保安national security: the safety of a country from foreign threats — 国家安全. Even so, Li said BYD is winning more brandbrand: A type of product made by a particular company, identified by a name or symbol. — 品牌；牌子 recognitionrecognition: Acceptance as valid or true — 认可brand recognition: how widely a brand is known and identified by consumers — 品牌知名度 in placesplace: To put something in a particular position carefully. — 放置；安放 like the UK.

Chinese firmsfirm: A business or company, especially a small one. — 公司；商行 used to compete mostly on low prices. Today, they also compete on technology — better batteriesbattery: A device that stores electricity and provides power to electronic equipment — 电池；蓄电池, stronger charging infrastructureinfrastructure: The basic physical systems of a country or organisation, such as roads, power supplies, and buildings — 基础设施charging infrastructure: the network of public stations and equipment used to charge electric vehicles — 充电基础设施 and smarter softwaresoftware: programs and instructions used to operate a computer — 软件. “We are not just a car company,” Li said. BYD also makes parts for phones, buses, trucks and solarsolar: Relating to or determined by the sun. — 太阳的；太阳能的 panelspanel: A flat piece forming part of a surface; a group of people chosen to discuss or decide something. — 面板；专家小组.

Foreign companies like Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford once ledlead: to go in front of people or vehicles, guiding them — 带领 China's car market. Now they strugglestruggle: To make forceful efforts to achieve something despite difficulty; to fight or wrestle. — 奋斗；挣扎；努力 to keep pacepace: The speed at which something happens or progresses; a single step. — 速度；节奏；步伐keep pace: move forward at the same speed as competitors — 跟上步伐, and some are working with local Chinese firms instead.

At home, the fight is hard, even for BYD. Dozensdozen: A group of twelve; used informally to mean a lot. — 一打；十二个 of Chinese makers are stuck in price warsprice wars: extended periods when companies repeatedly cut prices to win customers from each other — 价格战, which cut into profitsprofit: Money that you gain by selling something for more than it cost you. — 利润；收益. BYD's sales in China have fallen for seven months in a row. This is a clear sign that the home market is under stress. In contrastcontrast: A clear difference between two things when they are compared. — 对比；反差；差异 toin contrast to: compared with; in opposition to — 与……形成对比 this, BYD's sales in Europe rose 156% in the first three months of this year.

Li believes the pressurepressure: The force produced by pressing against something, or the stress and worry caused by having too much to deal with. — 压力 will forceforce: To compel (someone or something) to do something — 迫使，强迫 smaller companies to closeclose: to (social) To finish, to terminate — 结束；终止 or mergemerge: to combine or join together to form a single entity — 合并；融合. She pointed to past examples — Japanese carmakerscarmaker: A company that manufactures automobiles — 汽车制造商 in the 1990s and Korean brands more recently — when many car brands disappeared. For now, BYD plans to stay one of the market leadersmarket leaders: companies that sell the most in a particular market — 市场领导者, with or without the US.