About a year ago, BYD passed Tesla as the world's largest electric vehicle (EV) company. Warren Buffett took a 10% ownership stake in BYD in 2008. It is another example of why Buffett is the world's smartest investor, as the stock is up over 3,800% since he bought in. Recently, Buffett sold the last of the BYD shares he owned.
By some counts, there are over 100 electric vehicle (EV) companies in China. People who watch the industry closely believe that only a very small number will survive. Those in trouble have even stopped paying their suppliers. The argument about the future of Chinese car companies is simple. Government policy helped almost all these companies launch into the world's largest market for EVs.
China has now crossed a massive benchmark in the electric-car race: battery-powered vehicles are now cheaper than their gas counterparts. In the U.S., by contrast, EVs still face a steep premium; roughly $14,000 on average, according to new data from JATO dynamics, an automotive data analytics firm. Dan Sperling, founding director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies, told Fortune he thought the $14,000 figure was overestimated - but conceded that there was a strong, real gap.