PUBLISHED ONMay 20, 2025 4:00 AMBYBen ChiaBYD's meteoric rise to the top of the automotive charts in Singapore has been nothing short of amazing. Getting to the number one position in less than three years is a pretty astonishing achievement here, especially so given that their lineup currently consists solely of electric vehicles (EVs), in a market where scepticism about EVs still abound.
But beyond just being a sales success though, BYD have also revolutionised the way cars are sold here. They made the bold and unprecedented move to break the longstanding single official dealership model in Singapore by appointing multiple dealers for the brand, with the aim of introducing more competition to benefit consumers.
They were also arguably among the first to introduce the automotive lifestyle retail concept here, by tying up with an F&B brand to make restaurants a potential touchpoint for greater interaction with the brand.
The idea of BYD by 1826 is to let consumers learn more about BYD and EVs in general in a more casual setting away from the traditional car showroom, with no pressure to commit to a purchase.
It's a concept that has generated much interest and buzz around the industry, and brands like Audi have also now incorporated elements of the idea at their recently-opened new downtown showroom space.
While BYD doesn't have the same kind of heritage as traditional brands like Toyota or Mercedes-Benz due to its relatively infancy, it would surely have garnered its fair share of fans here as a result of its bold approach and strong success locally.
For a company with such a relatively short history though, its journey from humble beginnings to become the automotive behemoth it is today makes for a fascinating tale indeed.
And the impact it has made in that time is most evident in its home country of China, where you can find the company's footprints showcasing its past, present and future.
If you are a new-fangled BYD fan, and are intrigued by the BYD story, here's what you should check out if you wanna head to China to know more about this growing automotive giant.
Hidden away in a sleepy industrial estate in BYD's home city of Shenzhen is the BYD History Museum, and it is an attraction so obscure that it doesn't even show up on Google searches.
It is apparently not open to the general public, and you need to be specially invited to visit. But if you manage to seek out the museum, located in the Deqing Industrial Park in Shenzhen's Longgang District, perhaps you can make a special request to sneak in.
If you manage to make it in though, you'll be rewarded with a fascinating journey that takes you through BYD's beginnings as a battery maker, all the way to the EV leader that it is today.
The location of the museum is actually symbolic, because it stands on the site of one of BYD's first offices from when it started back in 1994. The museum now takes up two eight-storey buildings spanning over 9,400 square metres, with one building dedicated to charting the company's early years, and the other highlighting its modern growth and the challenges it faced along the way.
The early history section is a time capsule of sorts, complete with faithful recreations of the BYD offices from back in the 1990s. There are also well-preserved examples of the machines that the company used in battery production, along with detailed explanations about the production process.
From there, one can chart the evolution and transformation of the company from a battery producer and supplier to its current form as an electric car maker, and its achievements along the way.
There is even a section dedicated to highlighting the media brickbats and criticisms it received during the company's pivot towards EV manufacturing, demonstrating the company's resolve to prove its critics wrong.
For history buffs with a genuine curiosity about BYD's origin story, the BYD History Museum is well worth a visit. But if you're interested in the here and now, then perhaps it might be worthwhile to make a trip further north.
Zhengzhou is the capital of the central Henan province, and is one of the fastest growing cities in China. It sits roughly in between Beijing and Shanghai, albeit further inland from those two major metropolises.
Zhengzhou is also a high tech industrial hub, and is home to a large number of manufacturing facilities, including the world's largest iPhone factory, operated by Foxconn, as well as several automotive manufacturing plants from both domestic and foreign brands.
It's no surprise that BYD has a presence in Zhengzhou as well, with a factory located in Zhengzhou's Airport Economy Zone. But it has also chosen Zhengzhou to premiere a concept which it hopes will serve as an experiential space for educational storytelling about the brand and development of Chinese EV technology.
The BYD Di Space in Zhengzhou is a four-storey facility that covers over 15,000 square metres, and is open to the public to access. While it contains the usual retail elements like a full-fledged car showroom and a merchandise corner, both of which occupy most of the ground floor, the main highlight is the exhibition space that takes you through BYD's brand story and modern day developments.
The exhibition spans all four floors of the building, and each floor is segmented into different topics. The first floor takes a brief look at the evolution and rise of the motor vehicle in China, and illustrates how the country made the leap from internal combustion to electrification, with BYD leading the charge.
The second and third floors cover the design philosophy and engineering prowess of BYD, offering a peek into the company's thinking and processes as it details all the elements that come together to create a fully-formed car.
Finally, the fourth floor is the Science and Technology Discovery Space, and it is here where visitors can check out BYD's numerous technological innovations. It also contains an open space that can be used for events and educational workshop sessions.
While the Di Space experience is currently only available in Zhengzhou, BYD confirmed that it is looking to expand the concept to other cities in China, and eventually abroad as well, including Singapore.
What the Di Space represents though is an extension of how BYD is transforming the automotive purchasing and ownership journey. Buying a car is no longer simply a matter of stepping into the showroom, signing some paperwork and driving off without looking back.
What BYD envisions is for the brand to be a part of your lifestyle, well beyond the retail floor. With its combination of compelling stories and innovative ideas, it certainly looks set to be a truly transformative force in the automotive industry.
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