Opinion | Chinese brands are impressing the world – but can they inspire it?

While Chinese companies excel in quality, pricing and design, some have yet to embed themselves in the emotional lives of global consumers

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Models pose near the BYD Seal 06 Dmi unveiled during an autho show in Beijing, on April 25, 2024. Photo: AP

Published: 4:30pm, 11 Apr 2025

When Chinese electric vehicle giant BYD recently surpassed Tesla in global sales, headlines celebrated a milestone in the ongoing EV race. It was a moment of triumph for a Chinese home-grown brand that, not too long ago, was little known outside Asia.

Beyond this milestone lies a deeper, less discussed breakthrough: BYD may have outpaced Tesla in sales, but the more interesting shift is how it’s beginning to play the long game of brand-building.

For years, Chinese firms have been defined by their ability to impress the world – through scale, speed, pricing and engineering. What BYD has begun to show is that to compete globally at the highest level, Chinese brands must also learn to inspire.

That means something more than exporting cutting-edge products. It means exporting ideas, identities and stories that emotionally resonate with audiences far beyond China’s borders. In other words, success will no longer be measured solely in units sold or patents filed but in the kind of narratives being told and whether they spark a connection.

BYD’s transformation is subtle but significant. Once known mostly for low-cost electric vehicles, it has evolved into a brand with a clear lifestyle focus. Its cars now come with globally appealing names like Dolphin and Seal, and its marketing has shifted from technical specs to emotional experiences. The message is no longer just “we’re good at making EVs”. It’s “we understand how you want to feel in the future of mobility”.

This shift is important because Tesla did not rise on engineering alone. It rose by creating a cultural phenomenon. Elon Musk framed Tesla as a mission-driven brand – one built on climate action, energy independence and the future of humanity. Love him or not, Musk understood that the emotional dimension of branding is often more powerful than the product itself.