Autos

Behind the scenes at BYD’s electric-vehicle factories in Shenzhen and California

A busy scene in Shenzhen.
A busy scene in Shenzhen.
Image: Theodore Kaye for Quartz
By
Johnny Simon
 and Akshat Rathi
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In 2008, BYD sold its first electric car. In 2017, BYD sold more electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, than any other car company in the world—including Tesla.

The company was founded by a battery engineer in 1995 in Shenzhen. It also makes mobile-phone parts, gasoline-powered cars, solar panels, home energy-storage systems, and mono-rail transport systems. Globally, it employs some 200,000 people.

During Quartz’s reporting for our profile on the company’s success so far and the coming challenges, we got a peek inside BYD’s electric-car factory near its headquarters in China, and its electric-bus factory in California. Photographers Theodore Kaye in Shenzhen and Alex Welsh in Lancaster will take it from here.

California

An entrance to BYD’s Lancaster, California plant.
An entrance to BYD’s Lancaster, California plant.
Image: Alex Welsh for Quartz
Workers assemble a bus inside BYD’s Lancaster, California plant.
Workers assemble a bus inside BYD’s Lancaster, California plant.
Image: Alex Welsh for Quartz
Image for article titled Behind the scenes at BYD’s electric-vehicle factories in Shenzhen and California
Image: Alex Welsh
A worker installs a display panel inside of a BYD bus.
A worker installs a display panel inside of a BYD bus.
Image: Alex Welsh for Quartz
Buses in progress sit on the factory floor.
Buses in progress sit on the factory floor.
Image: Alex Welsh for Quartz

Shenzhen

Workers assemble battery-powered automobiles with the help of automated and semi-automated processes at a BYD factory in Shenzhen.
Workers assemble battery-powered automobiles with the help of automated and semi-automated processes at a BYD factory in Shenzhen.
Image: Theodore Kaye for Quartz
A worker assembles a portion of a car.
A worker assembles a portion of a car.
Image for article titled Behind the scenes at BYD’s electric-vehicle factories in Shenzhen and California
Image: Theodore Kaye for Quartz
Workers assemble battery-powered automobiles.
Workers assemble battery-powered automobiles.
Image: Theodore Kaye for Quartz
A car moves down the assembly line.
A car moves down the assembly line.
Image: Theodore Kaye for Quartz