Byton founder says he quit because of Chinese government interference

Carsten Breitfeld, a founder and former CEO of EV startup Byton, says he left the company earlier this year because the Chinese government exerted too much influence after an investment from the country’s oldest state-owned automaker, First Auto Works (FAW). He said that while the deal with FAW lent the credibility he sought for Byton and increased access to suppliers, those benefits came with oversight and interference.
Breitfeld, who recently became the new CEO of struggling EV startup Faraday Future, made the comments during a media event held at Faraday Future’s Los Angeles headquarters on Thursday.
Byton took investment from First Auto Works, China’s oldest state-owned automaker
Breitfeld co-founded Byton in 2017 after a long…

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