‘Words are f***’: China’s Aus turf war explodes

The battle for the dollar of the everyday Aussie between some of China’s biggest manufacturers has exploded amid profanity-laced tirades and accusations of copycat products.

BYD’s Australian boss has taken to social media to blast claims from rival Chinese car brand Chery that accuse BYD, MG and Geely of copying its hybrid technology – calling the suggestion F*** in a fiery LinkedIn post.

The outburst comes after Carsales published an article quoting Chery Australia COO Lucas Harris, who said competing Chinese brands like BYD were “100 per cent” copying the company’s so-called ‘Super Hybrid’ powertrain technology.

Harris told Carsales this during the launch of Chery’s Tiggo 7 and Tiggo 8 hybrid SUVs.

The Carsales story referenced BYD’s new Shark 6 ute, MG’s HS Super Hybrid, and Geely’s incoming Starray EM-i Super Hybrid, all of which use similar naming conventions and drivetrain logic, with varying claims about efficiency, battery backup, and petrol-electric switching.

RELATED: China ramps up Aussie takeover

BYD has produced more than 10 million hybrid and electric cars. Picture: Supplied

But Harris said, “No, they’re copying us … 100 per cent they are.”

“Maybe we should be flattered that some of our competitors decided to copy our technology, or the name of our technology, because their technology is not the same.”

The article and Harris’s comments provoked an immediate and rare response from BYD Australia General Manager Wing You, who posted a screenshot of the article with a blunt remark.

“Emmmmm, very interesting!” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“They are very lucky by internal rules, we cannot negatively comment on other brands; however, I need to say, this GENTLEMEN’s words are F***!.”

MORE: Aussies ‘not ready’ for advanced driver tech

BYD Australia general manager Mr Wing You fired back at rival Chery in a now taken down LinkedIn post, calling the hybrid copycat claims “F***!”. Picture: Supplied

The LinkedIn post has since been taken down, however BYD CMO Kate Hornstein confirmed that the automaker was the first globally to introduce plug-in hybrid technology with the launch of the F3DM in 2008.

“Before the launch of the SEALION 6 plug-in hybrid SUV in mid-2024, the term “Super Hybrid” was used in the Australian market. Anything that suggests otherwise is misleading and risks confusing consumers who deserve clear, fact-based information to support their vehicle choices,” she said.

In the Carsales interview, Harris told journalist Ally Lawrence that Chery took possession of the “Super Hybrid” name more than 12 months ago in Europe.

However, trademark records confirm the name “Super Hybrid” and “Super Hybrid System” is active in the United Kingdom, registered to Chery Automobile Co., Ltd., but it was only lodged in April 2025, not a year prior.

Chery has pending trademark applications for the term in several other jurisdictions, including Thailand, Brazil and Australia.

BYD applied to trademark its DM-i hybrid system in multiple countries, including the United States, Australia and Brazil as early as December 2024 – months before Chery’s UK filing and most recently in the UK in May 2025.

MORE: The end of travel as we know it

The 2025 Chery Tiggo 7 launched in Australia this month, with the brand claiming its powertrain is being copied by rival Chinese automakers. Picture: Thomas Wielecki

Harris told Carsales that Chery claimed to have possession of the ‘Super Hybrid’ name over 12 months ago in Europe; however, Harris admitted that BYD beat it to the Aussie market with the Shark 6 dual-cab ute.

It uses a system called Dual Mode Intelligent (DM-i) in the Shark 6, with the car capable of driving in EV or hybrid mode without performance loss.

In comparison, Chery’s version is branded CHS or SHS depending on the model, promises better driveability when unplugged, with Harris claiming rival plug-in-hybrids (PHEVs) become “awful to drive” when battery levels dip.

“Noise goes up considerably, the power delivery and driving feeling is significantly worse; and the fuel economy is just awful,” Harris told Carsales.

“That’s a big difference with our technology; you can drive it around and never, ever, ever plug it in, and you’ll have no deteriorated performance at all.

“You won’t suffer any negative consequences by not plugging it in.”

No formal legal action has been flagged.

Originally published as ‘Words are f***’: China’s Aus turf war explodes