BYD vs Ola Electric: Founders, CEOs and History

Company facts

Founders

CEOs and their tenures

Timeline: BYD and Ola Electric side by side

1. 1995BYD

   BYD founded in Shenzhen

   Wang Chuanfu and his cousin Lu Xiangyang start BYD in Shenzhen with about 20 employees, making rechargeable batteries for mobile phones.

2. 2000BYD

   Becomes a leading NiCd battery maker

   BYD becomes one of the world's largest makers of nickel-cadmium batteries, supplying major electronics brands.

3. 2002BYD

   Hong Kong listing

   BYD lists its H shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under stock code 1211.

4. 2003BYD

   Buys Qinchuan and enters the car business

   BYD acquires a controlling stake in Xi'an Qinchuan Automobile for about $37.4 million (CN¥269 million), gaining a car production licence and factory.

5. 2008BYD

   Berkshire Hathaway takes about 10%

   Berkshire Hathaway's MidAmerican Energy invests $232 million for about 10% of BYD, giving the company international credibility.

6. 2008BYD

   Launches the F3DM plug-in hybrid

   BYD launches the F3DM, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car, two years before the Chevrolet Volt.

7. 2010BYD

   Denza joint venture with Daimler

   BYD and Daimler set up Denza as a 50:50 joint venture to build premium electric cars in China.

8. 2011BYD

   Launches the e6 and lists in Shenzhen

   BYD launches the e6 electric crossover, first used as a taxi in Shenzhen, and lists A shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (002594).

9. 2017Ola Electric

   Founded as Electric Mobility Subsidiary of ANI Technologies

   Bhavish Aggarwal established Ola Electric to pilot commercial EV fleets and charging infrastructure.

10. 2019Ola Electric

    Spun Off as an Independent Company

    Ola Electric became a standalone company and raised funding from investors including SoftBank.

11. 2020BYD

    Launches the Blade Battery

    BYD introduces the Blade Battery, an LFP cell-to-pack design that passes the nail penetration test without fire.

12. 2020Ola Electric

    Acquisition of Dutch EV Startup Etergo BV

    Acquired Amsterdam-based Etergo to license its sleek AppScooter intellectual property and chassis.

13. 2021Ola Electric

    Opening of 500-Acre Futurefactory & Launch of Ola S1

    Constructed the automated Futurefactory in Tamil Nadu and launched the flagship Ola S1 and S1 Pro scooters.

14. 2022BYD

    Ends combustion-only car production

    In March 2022 BYD stops making combustion-only passenger cars and focuses entirely on battery EVs and plug-in hybrids.

15. 2022Ola Electric

    Selected for Government 20 GWh Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) PLI

    Won the Indian government's Production Linked Incentive for domestic battery cell manufacturing.

16. 2023BYD

    Passes Tesla in quarterly BEV sales

    BYD sells 3.02 million new energy vehicles in 2023, and its 526,409 battery EVs in the fourth quarter top Tesla's 484,507 for the first time in a quarter.

17. 2024BYD

    Takes full ownership of Denza

    Mercedes-Benz sells its last 10% of Denza in July 2024, leaving BYD as the sole shareholder of its premium brand.

18. 2024Ola Electric

    Landmark IPO on NSE/BSE Raising 6,145 Crore ($735M USD)

    Successfully listed on the Indian stock exchanges, funding its 20 GWh battery cell Gigafactory.

19. 2025BYD

    Berkshire Hathaway exits

    Berkshire Hathaway confirms in September 2025 that it has sold its entire BYD stake, ending a 17-year investment.

20. 2025BYD

    Becomes the world's top battery EV seller

    BYD sells 2.26 million battery EVs in 2025 against Tesla's 1.64 million, and 4.6 million new energy vehicles in total.

21. 2025Ola Electric

    Market Share Slide and Cost Reset

    Revenue fell to ~$524 million (₹4,514 crore) in FY25 as TVS and Bajaj overtook Ola in electric two-wheeler registrations.

22. 2026BYD

    Unveils Blade Battery 2.0 and FLASH charging

    On March 5, 2026 BYD unveils the second-generation Blade Battery, which charges from 10% to 70% in about five minutes, and plans 20,000 FLASH charging stations in China by the end of 2026.

23. 2026BYD

    Overseas revenue passes China

    In the first half of 2026 BYD's overseas revenue of ~$25.2 billion (CN¥181.3 billion) exceeds revenue from China for the first time, even as group revenue falls 7.1% to ~$47.9 billion (CN¥344.8 billion).

24. 2026Ola Electric

    FY26 Revenue Halves; Gigafactory Ramp and New Fundraises

    FY26 revenue fell to ~$261 million (₹2,253 crore); Ola raised ~$90.5 million (₹780 crore) via QIP, launched Mahashakti energy storage and approved a ~$116 million (₹1,000 crore) rights issue.

Acquisitions

Questions about BYD vs Ola Electric