Recently, a UK automotive media outlet interviewed Alfredo Altavilla, currently serving as a special advisor for BYD in Europe. Altavilla expressed astonishment at BYD’s "China speed" in manufacturing and product development: “BYD’s approach is unique. When I worked with Sergio Marchionne to reduce car development time, we invested significant effort and resources to bring it down from 33 months to 28 months—a remarkable achievement. Yet BYD has managed to build a car from scratch in less than 18 months, which is unbelievable. And the number of new models they plan to release in the next 24 months is also astounding.”
Who is this man? Why did BYD choose him as a special advisor for its most important European strategy in the coming years?
If BYD wants someone who can help it sell cars in Europe, that person must be professional, well-connected in Europe, and understand both the Chinese market and Chinese brands. Altavilla is indeed a suitable choice. Born in Italy and a graduate of Milan's Catholic University with a degree in economics, he began his career as an assistant and later headed Fiat's Beijing office, gaining experience with the Chinese market and Chinese brands.
Altavilla made waves in the automotive world by assisting with the globally significant Fiat & Chrysler merger while working closely with Ferrari's former head, Marchionne. His network is certainly not a concern.
Given BYD's rapid pace, European media were curious: Could this speed mean greater risks for consumers, like sacrificing quality or cutting corners to save time?
Altavilla replied: “I have never seen BYD take additional risks for the sake of speed in their development process. It’s possibly an attitude that comes from working in a high-tech environment. They are one of Apple’s largest component suppliers, so they are accustomed to innovating at speeds faster than any traditional manufacturer.”
But, the European media continued, consumer electronics don’t require the same level of reliability as cars. “The perceived quality of BYD cars has reached levels that took traditional manufacturers decades to achieve,” Altavilla said. “BYD’s designer is Wolfgang Egger. Wolfgang and I worked together at Alfa. Without the logo on the hood, would you say this is a Chinese car? They work extremely hard, around the clock. Their attitude is that ‘nothing is impossible,’ and this gives engineers tremendous confidence.”
“Fundamentally, BYD’s strategy is to become a European manufacturer, which is completely different from what many other Chinese OEMs are aiming for. They want to assemble cars in Europe but still keep manufacturing in China. BYD wants to be a local manufacturer with local R&D and product management. This approach avoids tariffs, keeps costs lower for European consumers, and creates local jobs and economic benefits.”
So with BYD’s impressive performance, are there a lot of applicants wanting to join? “You’re absolutely right,” Altavilla said. “Every morning, I wake up to hundreds of resumes, many from local manufacturers eager to collaborate. Honestly, this is probably the easiest job I’ve had in my life. But this also says a lot—not just about people’s readiness for new challenges, but also about their worries about current jobs. BYD offers good conditions, which shows what kind of life people are leading at other European manufacturers.”
What do you think has led European manufacturers to gradually fall behind in the automotive industry? What should be done to change this?
“I think the issue is most obvious with the Germans. Germans, in particular, tend to stagnate. They are constantly strategizing in their minds but have no real answers. You can’t just imagine things; you need to act.”
