Chinese Electric Vehicle Company Becomes World's Largest Mask Maker

[Asia Economy Reporter Bu Aeri] BYD, China's largest electric vehicle manufacturer, has become the world's largest mask manufacturer to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

According to Bloomberg on the 13th (local time), BYD has a production capacity of 5 million masks per day and plans to further expand its production scale. Founder Wang Chanfu led 3,000 engineers to establish the production line. However, BYD did not specify what types of masks it produces.

Wang, who founded BYD in 1995 as a mobile phone battery manufacturer, has built a diverse business ranging from electric vehicles, monorails, and semiconductors to protective equipment such as masks and disinfectants.

When COVID-19 broke out in China, BYD changed its production lines to meet the increased demand for masks and hand sanitizers. Besides this company, Guangzhou Automobile Group, oil major Sinopec, and iPhone assembler Foxconn are also currently producing masks.

Bloomberg analyzed that the rapid switch from producing one product to another reflects China's role as the "world's factory," showing the urgency to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.