BYD: A Mildly Less Terrible Investment?

My uncle, bless his heart, keeps trying to explain “disruptive technology” to me. He’s recently become obsessed with electric vehicles, mostly because he thinks it’s a way to stick it to the oil companies. He cornered me at Thanksgiving, waving a printout of BYD’s stock chart. “This,” he declared, crumbs clinging to his mustache, “is the future!” I nodded politely, thinking about the cranberry sauce and the fact that the “future” usually involves a lot more paperwork than anyone anticipates.

BYD, or Build Your Dreams, which feels less like a corporate slogan and more like a passive-aggressive suggestion from a life coach, is releasing its earnings report soon. The stock’s been down, which, honestly, is the most interesting thing about it. It’s down 17% in the last year. That’s… a correction, right? Or is it just the universe gently suggesting I avoid making any impulsive decisions?

Everyone’s talking about how BYD surpassed Tesla in EV sales. It’s a big deal, apparently. My aunt, who reads a lot of newsletters, explained it as a “paradigm shift.” I just pictured a bunch of cars being rearranged in a parking lot. But, okay, they sold more cars. Over 4.6 million last year. That’s a lot of cars. More cars than I’ve ever seen in one place, which, admittedly, isn’t saying much, given my aversion to car dealerships.

They’re exporting cars now, too. Over a million outside of China. Europe seems particularly receptive, though I suspect that has less to do with the cars themselves and more to do with the fact that Europeans are generally more polite about accepting questionable purchasing decisions. They captured 4.8% of the market there, which sounds impressive until you realize that’s still a pretty small slice of the pie. A 271.8% year-over-year growth sounds good, but it’s easy to grow from almost nothing. It’s like my attempts at learning Mandarin. A 200% improvement from complete silence is still just a few mumbled phrases.

The new Blade Battery is apparently a marvel. Charges from 10% to 97% in nine minutes. That’s… fast. I still spend approximately 45 minutes looking for my phone charger every morning. But the real kicker is that BYD makes most of its own parts. 80%, they say. Tesla only manages about half that. It’s like building a model airplane versus assembling one from a kit. One requires patience and skill, the other just a lot of glue and a willingness to accept imperfections.

An Inexpensive Distraction

The numbers look… reasonable. A forward P/E of 17, a PEG ratio of 0.78. These metrics are, as my financial advisor likes to say, “attractive.” Compared to Tesla, which seems to be operating on a different plane of existence, it’s almost… sensible. But sensible investments rarely make for good stories. And honestly, I’m starting to suspect that the entire stock market is just a very elaborate game of pretend.

There are risks, of course. The EV market is volatile, geopolitical tensions are… well, tense, and the Chinese market is fiercely competitive. But those risks are present with almost any investment. It’s like ordering coffee. There’s always a chance they’ll mess up your order, or you’ll spill it on your shirt. You just have to decide if the potential reward—a caffeine boost—is worth the risk of a stain.

So, should you buy BYD stock? I honestly don’t know. I’m just a man trying to navigate a world increasingly obsessed with electric vehicles and complicated financial instruments. But if you’re looking for a mildly less terrible investment, and you have a high tolerance for uncertainty, it might be worth a look. Just don’t tell my uncle. He’ll corner me at Thanksgiving again, and I really don’t need another lecture on disruptive technology.

2026-03-18 03:22

An Inexpensive Distraction

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