Why read this: BYD is the world's biggest electric-car company, and many of your students will already know the brand from home in China. This B1 version uses that prior knowledge as a way into a bigger story: how a Chinese company is growing in Europe, Brazil and the UK while the US market stays closed. The article is a useful introduction to business news — short quotes, named companies, and percentages — and lets students practise reading for facts and reasons without needing the dense vocabulary of the C1 source.
What to notice: Watch for two important shifts the article makes. First, the writer shows that BYD's biggest problem is not selling cars but making enough of them — a surprising idea for many readers, and a chance to slow down and check meaning. Second, the writer contrasts two pictures: BYD is doing well overseas (Europe up 156%) but struggling at home, where sales have fallen for seven months in a row. This contrast carries the article's main argument and is set up by the phrase 'in contrast to'. Encourage students to mark these two ideas as they read.
Skills practised: Students practise three core B1 reading skills. (1) Tracking a small number of named entities — BYD, Tesla, Stella Li, the US, China, Brazil, the UK and Europe — across many paragraphs. (2) Reading numbers and percentages in context (1,400 vehicles, 156%, seven months) and using them as evidence. (3) Following a simple compare-and-contrast structure built around the home market versus overseas markets. The signposted inference about flash charging and the 'barrier to adoption' phrase also gives students one chance to practise gentle inference work.
BYD says it does not need the US to grow
China's biggest electric-car maker is selling more vehicles in Europe, Brazil and the UK — even while the US market stays closed.
Tap any green word in the article to see its meaning.
When fuel prices jumped because of the war in Iran, more people around the world began to look at electric cars. Chinese car makers want to this chance. China is the top maker of EVs in the world. Its companies are still 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 . Now it is growing fast in many countries. “We survive and are successful without the US market today,” said Stella Li, an executive vice 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 demand is much higher than what we can supply,” she said. Instead of trying to enter the US, BYD is focused on Brazil, the UK and the rest of Europe.
BYD is also a new technology called . Li calls it a . Flash charging can add hundreds of kilometres of range in just a few minutes. Slow charging has long been a 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 display, with Chinese makers at the centre.
BYD's growth is happening at a difficult political moment. Chinese EV companies face high taxes and in many countries, especially the US. The US has complained about from China and worries about and . Even so, Li said BYD is winning more in places like the UK.
Chinese firms used to compete mostly on low prices. Today, they also compete on technology — better batteries, stronger and smarter software. “We are not just a car company,” Li said. BYD also makes parts for phones, buses, trucks and solar panels.
Foreign companies like Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford once led China's car market. Now they struggle to , and some are working with local Chinese firms instead.
At home, the fight is hard, even for BYD. Dozens of Chinese makers are stuck in , which cut into profits. 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. this, BYD's sales in Europe rose 156% in the first three months of this year.
Li believes the pressure will force smaller companies to close or merge. She pointed to past examples — Japanese carmakers in the 1990s and Korean brands more recently — when many car brands disappeared. For now, BYD plans to stay one of the , with or without the US.
When fuel prices jumped because of the war in Iran, more people around the world began to look at electric cars. Chinese car makers want to this chance. China is the top maker of EVs in the world. Its companies are still 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 . Now it is growing fast in many countries. “We survive and are successful without the US market today,” said Stella Li, an executive vice 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 demand is much higher than what we can supply,” she said. Instead of trying to enter the US, BYD is focused on Brazil, the UK and the rest of Europe.
BYD is also a new technology called . Li calls it a . Flash charging can add hundreds of kilometres of range in just a few minutes. Slow charging has long been a 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 display, with Chinese makers at the centre.
BYD's growth is happening at a difficult political moment. Chinese EV companies face high taxes and in many countries, especially the US. The US has complained about from China and worries about and . Even so, Li said BYD is winning more in places like the UK.
Chinese firms used to compete mostly on low prices. Today, they also compete on technology — better batteries, stronger and smarter software. “We are not just a car company,” Li said. BYD also makes parts for phones, buses, trucks and solar panels.
Foreign companies like Volkswagen, Toyota and Ford once led China's car market. Now they struggle to , and some are working with local Chinese firms instead.
At home, the fight is hard, even for BYD. Dozens of Chinese makers are stuck in , which cut into profits. 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. this, BYD's sales in Europe rose 156% in the first three months of this year.
Li believes the pressure will force smaller companies to close or merge. She pointed to past examples — Japanese carmakers in the 1990s and Korean brands more recently — when many car brands disappeared. For now, BYD plans to stay one of the , with or without the US.
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to Stella Li, what is BYD's biggest problem right now?
- 02
Why does Li call flash charging a "game-changer"?
- 03
What does the article suggest about how Chinese EV companies are competing today, compared to the past?
- 04
Explain why BYD says it can grow without the US market. Use two pieces of evidence from the article.
Suggested length: ~70 words
- 05
Compare BYD's situation in China with its situation in Europe, using details from the article.
Suggested length: ~70 words
Questions
Check your understanding
- 01
According to Stella Li, what is BYD's biggest problem right now?
- 02
Why does Li call flash charging a "game-changer"?
- 03
What does the article suggest about how Chinese EV companies are competing today, compared to the past?
- 04
Explain why BYD says it can grow without the US market. Use two pieces of evidence from the article.
Suggested length: ~70 words
- 05
Compare BYD's situation in China with its situation in Europe, using details from the article.
Suggested length: ~70 words