Warren Buffett-Backed BYD Opens Metaverse Showroom

Warren Buffett-backed BYD Co Ltd BYDDY BYDDF is attempting to expand the car-buying experience beyond physical stores.

What Happened: The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker unveiled BYD World. Developed with California-based metaverse company MeetKai, BYD World allows potential buyers to interact virtually with the BYD brand and its products.

"At BYD, we are always looking for unique and innovative ways to reach our end consumer, and we believe the Metaverse is the next frontier for selling cars and engaging with the consumer," BYD Americas CEO Stella Li.

BYD World is currently available in Ecuador and Chile, but will be available across all Latin American countries in a few weeks, the company said.

The User Experience: On opening the link to BYD World from any device with access to a web browser, the user stands in front of a digital, beach-facing BYD showroom. Within the showroom is an interaction zone, a bar, a newsstand and BYD’s Han and Tang vehicles.

One can explore individual vehicles virtually or even take the car on a virtual test drive. The virtual test is created in the likeness of the physical driving experience, the company said.

BYD World also offers potential buyers the option to customize the interior and exterior of their model year vehicles or have a picture captured with their favorite model from the company’s line.

One can also tap an AI-powered virtual consultant for guidance through the journey.

MeetKai co-founder and CEO James Kaplan praised the partnership with BYD for introducing “a new blueprint for the future of automotive retailing and user experiences on the web.”

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