Auto Maker Expects to Make Los Angeles Its First U.S. Market for Planned Electric-Car Sales; a Focus on Fleet Customers

By NORIHIKO SHIROUZU

BEIJING—BYD Co., the Chinese auto maker part-owned by one of Warren Buffett’s companies, is likely to choose the Los Angeles area as the lead market for the electric car it plans to start selling in the U.S. late next year, a senior executive said.

BYD is also leaning toward choosing the West Coast metropolis as home to its U.S. headquarters for the auto business, Henry Li, a BYD senior director in charge of its auto business outside China, said in an interview Wednesday.

Mr. Li said an official decision hasn’t been made, but the Los Angeles area is “at the top of the list.” and is likely to be chosen. The region is attractive because electric cars are “most suitable for densely populated areas with lots of air-pollution problems,” and because the region is one of the largest and wealthiest car markets and is known to be the leader in adopting new technologies, he said.

Source: WSJ Online