Is California the New Detroit? BYD Latest Automaker to Go West

Chinese automaker BYD announced a plan this week to build its North American headquarters in Los Angeles--the latest in a series of moves that are slowly turning California into the new electric vehicle hotspot.

BYD, listed as one of our Most Innovative Companies, started selling its first plug-in hybrid (the F3DM) in China this week. The company also produces EV batteries and recently established a partnership with Daimler to build a four-door electric sedan. We've questioned BYD's...