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China’s BYD first to market with mass-produced plug-in hybrid

China’s BYD first to market with mass-produced plug-in hybrid

Ralph Hanson December 16th, 2008 Ralph Hanson By Ralph Hanson Author December 16th, 2008
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December 31st, 1969 Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning to have plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in the U.S. within two years, with similar ambitions for the European market. The company took a step closer to reaching those goals by launching the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in China this week. The car is the F3DM and it can drive up to 62 miles on electrical power alone before a small internal combustion engine takes over driving duties. Its battery can fully charge in nine hours from a regular electrical outlet, or much faster at BYD's own charging stations, reports The Detroit News. On sale in China priced at 150,000 yuan ($22,000), BYD plans to sell the locally-built plug-in hybrid in the U.S. market by 2010. The move is backed by a $230 million investment from the world's richest man, Warren Buffett, and should help it overcome any development hitches presented by tough U.S. safety laws. The investment came from a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, of which Buffett is the majority shareholder. According to BYD's exports general manager, the company is "talking to some third-party consulting and engineering companies to get a thorough understanding of the safety standards" in the U.S., which will be integral in the vehicle's success into breaking into the U.S. market. BYD is predicting that initial sales of the car will top 500 units per month in China and will eventually reach 2,000 sales per month by next year.
The BYD F3 was used as the platform for the new plug-in hybrid technology

The BYD F3 was used as the platform for the new plug-in hybrid technology

Enlarge Photo

Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning to have plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in the U.S. within two years, with similar ambitions for the European market. The company took a step closer to reaching those goals by launching the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle in China this week.

The car is the F3DM and it can drive up to 62 miles on electrical power alone before a small internal combustion engine takes over driving duties. Its battery can fully charge in nine hours from a regular electrical outlet, or much faster at BYD's own charging stations, reports The Detroit News.

On sale in China priced at 150,000 yuan ($22,000), BYD plans to sell the locally-built plug-in hybrid in the U.S. market by 2010. The move is backed by a $230 million investment from the world's richest man, Warren Buffett, and should help it overcome any development hitches presented by tough U.S. safety laws. The investment came from a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, of which Buffett is the majority shareholder.

According to BYD's exports general manager, the company is "talking to some third-party consulting and engineering companies to get a thorough understanding of the safety standards" in the U.S., which will be integral in the vehicle's success into breaking into the U.S. market.

BYD is predicting that initial sales of the car will top 500 units per month in China and will eventually reach 2,000 sales per month by next year.

Tags: Europe, China, plug-in hybrids, United States

Posted in: News, Hybrid


Comments (3 total)

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  1. ma_iluvamericancarz avatar by iluvamericancarz #1, Posted: 12/16/2008

    it looks like a 2003-2008 toyota corolla, the chinese are good at ripping off other cars, the bmw x5, mercedes benz, and gm daewoo matiz and magnus. also the fiat croma, and the chery tiggo looks like a series of japanese cuvs.

  2. ma_Mike avatar by Mike #2, Posted: 12/16/2008

    I would be okay with this if it wasn't simply a Chinese Corolla copy. Can't the Chinese do anything original? At least the Japanese started making cool, original cars after copying American cars for a little while. Is it that difficult to actually design something yourself, rather than simply tracing other peoples' work? I don't think the Chinese will get very far in America if they don't come up with their own designs.

  3. ma_samuelesm avatar by samuelesm #3, Posted: 12/17/2008

    I don't want lead infested cars in my country. Cars that break easily. Chinese are increative and rip offs. There are 15,000 LG rip-off laundry machines found in the East US that people thought were real LG stuff. Now they want to copy cars. They are really going to have a bad image. Then again half of their factories closed and that is why gas is cheaper and the (US) media doesn't say China is the #1 polluter when they used to nag America for being the #1 polluter. They put bad crap in our foods. I may sound biased but it is true.

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