Chinese "BYD" has become the largest electric car manufacturer in the world. The company was established with a modest capital of 2.5 million Chinese yuan ($351,000) In 1996, the small company began manufacturing lithium-ion batteries, the type found in our modern smartphones.
In 2002, BYD was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, riding the wave of its success in the battery industry. In 2008, the company succeeded in attracting an investment worth $230 million from Berkshire Hathaway, a subsidiary of the American billionaire Warren Buffett.