BYD Offers Bounties for Evidence of Online Smear Campaigns as New Tang Pre-Sales Begin

BYD is opening its wallet to anyone who can help it trace what it describes as coordinated online attacks, while simultaneously putting a fresh electric SUV in front of Chinese buyers. The two moves, announced within days of each other, test different things: one the carmaker's ability to prove a legal case, the other its ability to sell vehicles in a market where demand is soft and discounting is fierce.

The legal department has published rewards for verified information about the alleged campaigns. BYD accuses dozens of so-called MCN agencies of orchestrating the attacks, saying some of the associated accounts used artificial intelligence to publish similarly worded posts. The company says it has secured evidence and initiated legal proceedings, and that the bounty mechanism will remain in place permanently, with informants' identities kept confidential. Courts have already ruled that posts from four online accounts were unlawful, ordering the operators to issue public apologies and pay damages.

Separately, three individuals were held under administrative measures in distinct cases. Feng and Ji are said to have spread fabricated information, while Jiang allegedly posted repeatedly insulting and defamatory content on Douyin. Those administrative actions concern the named individuals; the civil rulings cover specific accounts and publications. The broader claim of coordinated agency campaigns still has to be tested against the evidence BYD says it holds.

A Reputation Play With a Legal Hurdle

For shareholders, the value of the bounty program hinges on whether BYD can convincingly establish the coordination it alleges and hold those responsible to account. Similar wording across posts may help build a case, but what matters for a durable assessment is which responsibilities can actually be established as the litigation unfolds. The unfavorable scenario is a protracted fight in which the claimed organization of the attacks is only partly provable — with dozens of agencies named, pinning content and possible coordination on each defendant to a court's satisfaction would be demanding.

BYD stresses it does not intend to suppress legitimate criticism. That distinction can support brand protection as long as the company keeps its measures focused on demonstrable legal violations. If the line is drawn too vaguely, the legal strategy could itself spark fresh controversy. A precise approach would speak better for the company than the largest possible number of announced steps.

The Tang Becomes the Demand Test

On the product side, pre-sales of the third-generation Tang opened today, giving BYD a concrete offer against which customer willingness to pay can be measured. Media reports put the five-seat electric SUV at 225,000 yuan to 260,000 yuan, with a CLTC range of up to 850 km. Technical specs can stir interest, provided equipment and price fit together from the buyer's perspective.

The stakes are set by the home market. Reuters reported on November 1 of weak domestic demand and intense price competition. Against that, October vehicle sales rose 11% year on year to 490,168 units, extending BYD's run of monthly gains. Overseas shipments did even more of the heavy lifting, jumping 102.8% to 170,194 vehicles.

That export momentum offers support as long as demand outside China holds. A stronger domestic response to new models would give the company better conditions for further volume growth, letting investors lean on a broader base rather than mainly on overseas dynamism. A good reception at the offered prices would be especially telling, since it would signal competitiveness without additional concessions.

Quality Slip Adds a Second Front

The counterargument remains the strained demand picture. If the new Tang wins buyers mainly through lower prices, extra volume could come with economic pressure, and the question becomes whether the sales pace offsets the hit to revenue per vehicle.

A concrete quality issue has surfaced as well. On Wednesday, BYD apologized after front and rear wheels were mounted the wrong way round on some Great Tang SUVs. The company blamed a supplier coding error and announced inspections and a wheel swap. A swift resolution would reflect well on BYD's handling of the problem if affected customers receive the promised remedies; should the mix-up unsettle prospective buyers, it could weigh on marketing. Product appeal and reliable execution go hand in hand — a convincing offer also needs trust in the vehicle as delivered.

What to Watch Next

Verified tips from the bounty program and further court rulings, where published, are the next concrete checkpoints on the legal front. The content will matter: new results would count if they clarify responsibilities and reach beyond the individual posts already censured. On the commercial side, customer response to the Tang pre-sales is the near-term gauge — particularly whether the model mobilizes extra buying interest in a weak home market. As long as overseas demand carries and the Tang gains domestic buyers, broader-based growth remains a plausible scenario. If demand tips or further price concessions become necessary, the economic quality of the sales will move to the fore. The stock showed a daily move of -3.1% today.