Upstart Chinese Car Company BYD Releases Plug-In Hybrid. See What You Can Do With No Regulations?
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China-based BYD has introduced a plug-in hybrid that can be plugged into a regular electrical outlet, and achieve sixty miles on one charge.
The BYD F3DM is the first mass-produced plug-in vehicle in the world. While the car will not be available in the United States until approximately 2011, according to an article on Bloomberg.com, the release of the vehicle provides a boost for the sagging vehicle market, and for the Chinese market in particular.
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Significantly, the vehicle can be powered at a specialized charging station to fifty percent battery capacity, in just ten minutes. In addition, the vehicle has a gas engine backup that can power the vehicle, as well as charge the battery, much like a conventional hybrid.
The F3DM will sell for approximately 149,800 yuan (the equivalent of about $22,000) according to the article. The vehicle faces stiff regulatory hurdles in the U.S market, which is probably the reason that GM, if it’s still around, might have a chance to beat the F3DM to the market with its own plug-in, the Chevy Volt.
A good indication of BYD’s increasing status in the car market: Warren Buffett recently invested about 230 million dollars.
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