A synchronised flock of drones lit up the sky above Romes Olympic Stadium last month to mark the European launch of the latest electric hatchback from Chinese carmaker BYD Co.
Against the blackened night, the glowing orbs outlined an image of the new Dolphin Surf in front of classic Roman landmarks like the Colosseum, St. Peters Basilica and the Pantheon - a cinematic nod to the Fiat 500 and the postwar lifestyle it came to symbolise.
The message was as clear as it was audacious: BYD had arrived with an EV for the masses, a market segment its European peers have struggled to lock down. The Dolphin Surf aims to be a Fiat 500 or VW Beetle for the electric age - fun, accessible and built to put millions of drivers behind the wheel, only this time with a battery.
Behind the Roman light show is a deeper play. After a slow start, BYD is gaining sales momentum with sleek showrooms, bold pricing, and a dealer push thats begun to rattle entrenched rivals. Chinas biggest carmaker has overtaken Tesla Inc. in European EV sales, expanded its hybrid lineup to adapt to consumer tastes, and is hiring aggressively as it builds a factory in Hungary and poaches executive talent from the regions top carmakers.
