BYD invests heavily in… human resources!
- Published on 02/01/2025 16:58
- Modified on 23/09/2025 14:15
The Chinese automotive industry in general and BYD in particular do not particularly give the impression of prioritizing human-centric values. Yet…
Behind each car sold are thousands of hours of work and ingenuity, driven by the men and women who imagine and design these vehicles. At BYD, this principle takes on an exceptional scale: the Chinese company is currently the automobile manufacturer with the largest number of personnel in research and development (R&D). On December 29th, during the first China Innovation and Technology Festival organized by China Central Television, Wang Chuanfu, founder and president of BYD, revealed impressive figures: the company employs nearly a million people, including 110,000 engineers distributed across 11 major research institutes.
Since 2011, the number of engineers at BYD has grown from 20,000 to nearly 110,000. This expansion reflects the crucial importance placed on innovation: every working day, BYD files an average of 32 patents. The company’s cumulative investment in R&D exceeded 160 billion yuan (approximately 21.9 billion USD) in the third quarter of 2024.
The focus on youth and education is equally striking. Over the past two to three years, BYD has recruited more than 50,000 young graduates, nearly 70% of whom hold a Master’s or Doctorate degree, and nearly 80% work in fields related to R&D. This strategy is reflected in the makeup of its leadership team, where many technical managers and senior executives, such as He Zhiqi and Yang Dongsheng, began their careers at BYD right after graduating from university.
This effort demonstrates its impact through commercial performance. Between December 2023 and November 2024, BYD sold 3.76 million electric vehicles, a 40% increase compared to the previous year. With a total installed battery capacity reaching 117.54 GWh in 2024, the company exceeds its own ambitions: it anticipates annual sales of 4.27 million vehicles, well beyond its initial goal of 3.6 million.
In summary, at BYD, innovation is not just a budget line: it is a strategic engine driving an ambitious and sustainable vision for the future.
READ ALSO: BYD in turmoil after slavery accusations in Brazil
This page is translated from the original post "BYD investit sans compter sur… l’humain !" in French.
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