Hello from Nanjing!

Byton was founded 2016 in China to combine affordable, premium and intelligent electric vehicles for the future of autonomous mobility with a new business model, which encompasses smart products & digital services and mobility services. 

Since then we developed our first models and built the complete infrastructure of a car company including a brand new factory in Nanjing. In Q4-2019 the delivery of the M-Byte will start at a price point of 45,000 USD - less than 4 years later. 

We did this as a Chinese company that feels at home on several continents with offices in China, Silicon Valley and Germany. But as a global business, we often find that in the West a lack of knowledge regarding China and its overall development still persists - which is very unfortunate as China does present a fantastic learning opportunity to all of us trying to overcome and improve upon our current way of thinking and doing in the digital age: we can learn new tricks like how to combine long-term thinking with fast action or how to replace siloed approaches with ecosystem philosophies.

But for this we need a more profound and encompassing view on what is really happening on the ground in China. This is precisely why I find ChinaBriefs such an exciting project as it helps to make sense of what is happening over here today - even for people who never thought that China might become relevant for them too. Because China is not only important for those who want to export to that market or import goods made in China. To the contrary, China will increasingly move center stage and affect most of us and our lives, directly or indirectly. 

It’s never too early to start deepening one’s understanding of this country. ChinaBriefs is the perfect starting point for this journey. I have known Mirko and Björn, the people behind this project, for many many years and trust that they will do a brilliant job of fulfilling their mission to bring China knowledge and understanding closer to our minds and our hearts. I would like to wish them all the best and much success for the future!

Nanjing, May 14th, 2019

Daniel Kirchert, CEO Byton