Big 3 Beat Again: BYD to Release More Electric Cars In 2009
In an interview with Automotive News China, the president of BYD (Build Your Dreams), Wang Chuanfu, said that in addition to the recent Chinese release of the F3DM — the world’s first plug-in hybrid production car — he expects his company to release two more electric car models in 2009.
The F3DM, which does not look like a three wheeled motorcycle or a minivan shrunk quarter size as you may have come to expect, and instead looks like a normal sedan, will be buttressed in 2009 by the release in China of the F6DM sedan, and an entirely electric van, the E6, capable of seating seven.
American government regulations are what will keep all of those cars from hitting the US market right away, according to Chuanfu. Even so, he thinks that BYD will be able to release cars in the US and Europe by 2011. Regardless of the delay in getting the vehicles stateside, the new releases in China mean that the company will have three electric vehicles on the road in 2009, while no other major automaker has managed to produce even one.
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The F3DM sedan can be plugged into a regular outlet at home. Astonishingly, according to BYD, the sixty-mile range battery that powers the F3DM can be charged to half capacity in just ten minutes at a specialized charging station. DM stands for dual mode, which means the car can run purely as an electric vehicle (which it does for the first sixty miles), and then shift to a gasoline engine for greater range.
But will the company soon suffer from the financial strains that are affecting the rest of the car industry? Not according to Mr. Chuanfu. He says of Warren Buffett’s recent $230 million investment in BYD, “The money is enough for us to spend for awhile.”
Image Credit: BYD
Source: Automotive News China (site requires free registration)
“American government regulations are what will keep all of those cars from hitting the US market right away, according to Chuanfu. Even so, he thinks that BYD will be able to release cars in the US and Europe by 2011.”
GM, Chrysler and Ford have no choice, they have to comply with U.S. regulations. Furthermore, they have to contend with more sophisticated American consumers who care about things like interior quality, safety, available features, acceleration, etc.
The big three need to build things like this. That bailout money (tax dollars) better go towards it.
the US needs to suspend crash testing procedures on all plug in electric autos to get them into the mainstream of transportation and to add a new classificaton for mid range electric cars.
“the US needs to suspend crash testing procedures on all plug in electric autos to get them into the mainstream of transportation and to add a new classificaton for mid range electric cars.”
Well, see that in itself could cause problems with sales. They might become stigmatized as unsafe, I could see the rumors now, “You know why the gov’t doesn’t make EVs submit to crash tests? …Because blah blah blah…”
I am getting tired of you people who hate the US companies. So please, have some integrity in your reporting and state that the Japanese companies were beat to the market also by the Chinese who have no real regulations holding them back.
Take one of those small cars that are approved. Dump the I.C. junk & replace it with a E. setup.
Also find it funny that everyone lumps all 3 automakers into one group. Remember Ford did not take any bailout money. I was also looking around and found that Ford is in the viability stages of plug in hybrid. They have a working Escape PHEV and are testing its reliability in concert with Pacific Edison. The new CEO of Ford has been turning Ford around for almost 2 years now and I personally think they are on the right track. The are alos close to producing a plug-in fuel cell hybrid. They have two working models, the Edge and the Focus, being tested right now.