Another bright spot for the company is a return of government subsidies, which should begin as early as April or May, BYD chairman Wang Chan fu announced in March.

FORBES: Buffett's BYD Profit Up to 200% as First Quarter 2013 Profit Triples

Founder Wang Chuan-fu wanted to give the company name a visionary touch.

FORBES: Behind BYD's Success With Chinese Customers