Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD Company, speaks to the media during the unveiling of the company’s F3 Dual Mode hybrid vehicle in Shenzhen, China. (Qilai Shen/Bloomberg News)The questionable quality of Chinese cars has been the butt of many jokes, but it looks as though BYD Auto of Shenzhen, China, might be having the last laugh.
On Monday, BYD Auto began selling the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid car in the world.
Unlike conventional gas-electric hybrids, the F3DM can be charged from a wall outlet. It has a range of about 60 miles on a full battery charge. Its lithium-ion batteries can be fully recharged in as little as seven hours, said BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams. And the batteries can be 50 percent recharged at a special station in 10 minutes.
The car also has a 1-liter gas engine, which, according to media reports (Treehugger and Autoblog Green), recharges the batteries to extend the range.
BYD Auto only began building cars in 2003. (Ryan Pyle for The New York Times)For those of you keeping score, BYD Auto has beaten General Motors and Toyota in bringing a plug-in hybrid to market. The Chevrolet Volt goes on sale at the end of 2010. Toyota is planning a plug-in hybrid, also for 2010.
“The development of electric-powered vehicles is the best way for the Chinese auto industry to surpass other leading countries,” Wang Chuanfu, BYD’s founder and chairman, told reporters at an unveiling ceremony in Shenzhen.
Mr. Wang added that the F3DM, with a price of about $22,000, initially will be aimed at government agencies and corporate customers. (In a surreal event, Mr. Wang drove the concept version of the car on the Cobo Center floor during the 2008 Detroit auto show.)
BYD Auto was founded by Mr. Wang in 1995 as a manufacturer of cellphone batteries. Even though the company only began building cars in 2003, it has become one of the major players in the Chinese auto industry.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Wang told reporters that the company plans to sell 350,000 total vehicles in 2009, which is nearly twice the number sold in 2008. The company plans to introduce four new vehicles next year, including an electric car.
In September, Warren Buffett bought 9.9 percent of the firm, which may signal BYD’s entrance into the United States market in the near future.
Mr. Wang said at the time: “If BYD were to enter the North American market, Mr. Buffett’s investment would enhance the BYD brand name.”
From 1 to 25 of 85 Comments
It would be interesting to have a compariosn of this car with the Reva.
— AGBetter start guarding our power outlets to prevent electricity robbers!
Although this is a boon for the coal industry and nuclear energy producers, it certainly lessens the money sent to questionable cartels and others.
Wake up, U.S.!
— Drew, NE Chinaanother reason detroit in it’s present form should go away. with a “bridge loan” what are they going to do different?
— rcjrI get a charge out of seeing the Chinese move to the front of the line on this.
Of course, I’ll only be prepared to buy one if they can get the Chinese content down to zero, because I don’t have much faith in their industry standards and enforcement.
— Kind of like the financial industry in America, I guess.This is absolutely infuriating. A Chinese company can produce one for the mass market, but it is too difficult for Ford, GM, and Chrysler?
Well, China has just proved that it isn’t impossible, which proves that Detroit’s claims are a lot of hogwash. So remind me again why Detroit needs a bailout?
— hbThe techniques and technology to build a car is so commonplace these days that it can essentially be bought off the shelf. This company has superior battery technology, which is one of very few areas left where any auto company can establish a technical edge on any other. The rest of automotive technology can be bought as they need it.
There’s really no need for them to enter the US market with cars. They could sell batteries and the associated battery/electric system, and any one of several companies could build the car around it. Look for that as a more realistic entry point than actually importing cars.
— Tomthis is so weird but i would love to have one of these if i had to drive short distances.
— LexiSweet were going green!!!
— BillThis is a great thing!!! We should make more of these for the U.S. Could help save a lot of money on gas, and would reduce pollution. Keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-D
— MarissaWith just a 60-mile range before having to plug in again, this is a city car–but also a light city truck, which would eliminate a lot of pollution from idling delivery trucks.
Today’s Times says Treasury Secy. Paulson is being an auto czar to determine how much funding to provide our Big Three. He should be reporting to the public if, in fact, GM really will have a similar or better electric car in 2010, and why it’s taking so long, and where’s Ford and Chrysler. Continual, specific public pressure might push the auto companies to change faster–or admit they can’t compete.
— allan luks__AL
The series hybrid car represents a Paradigm Shift in automotive technology. It have the same effect on today’s model of the automobile that digital photography did to chemical photography. It is sad and shocking to see that China beat the US in getting such a machine to market.
— Gary ElinoffThis is why America is TOASAT. We can’t compete. We think we have the best private schools, the best high schools, the best colleges and the best graduates schools and we still keep coming up short. Now, to top it off, we have the new head of education track record is managing a school system that sends only 6 of every 100 students to college.
The greastest thing about America capitalism is that we had no competitors for so long that we actually were dellusional in our belief system about our intellect capacity.
Funny, though Iraq was a lie perpeputraed by a clown we still have to get out because we are getting beaten there by a military that is basically a bunch old and young men with third rate weapons and no Air Force.
See you at the unemployement line.
Ameria - RIP.
— Micky MouseSo, a Chinese cellphone battery maker with 5 years’ experience in the auto industry beat an American automaker with over 100 years’ experience in the industry.
Why do the Big Three deserve a bailout, again?
— Herr DoktorTom is right. As long as we imagine we can gain a manufacturing edge over China, we’ll be failing. They have cheaper labor, energy and material costs. Until we are willing to accept the labor wage and working conditions standards of China (hopefully never), we will FAIL.
America’s future edge is, as it has been for decades, in new technology innovation and commercialization, driven by a culture of entrepreneurship, supported by superior talent.
As long as it focuses on manufacturing rather than innovation, Detroit will FAIL no matter what.
Throw down your wrench and pick up a text book, brothers and sisters. It is our brains not our backs that will secure our future.
— Erik GLet’s not forget that General Motors produced the total electric EV1 in 1996 (13 years ago!!). The car was wildly successful in California, and then mysteriously removed from production and all of the recalled cars were destroyed.
Of course Detroit could have done this. The only question is why didn’t they?
— Thomas WatkinI don’t believe for one second that American engineers weren’t able to come up with something similar to this.
What I do believe, though, is that our elected officials have so many shady connections and commitments to middle east oil countries, this type of ingenuity was squelched.
— DPTom is certainly correct about the battery thing. AND it is indeed what BYD did in the past 5 years: built the plant and bought technology and people. As for the “Chinese content” comment, I suggest the author dig out more made-in-China products at home. Soon you will realize that you shouldn’t live in the past. BTW, Quality Control will play a major role after many Chinese companies have accumulated enough capital and technology and want to be more competitive against other big names.
— XJLBefore you all get too carried away with your praise for the Chinese and disdain for American car companies, let’s see this car in action. So far, all I’ve seen is a picture or is that a drawing behind the chairman? Has any independent agency or car magazine been able to test this vehicle? Can the recharging times be verified? What is the life of those new batteries? How much will it cost to replace them when they fail? If they do in fact have new battery technology, then good for them. The Japanese and the American car companies have been working on electric vehicles for a long time. If I wanted to go electric, I would much rather get my vehicle from a Japanese or American company. At least you know it will be well-built and there will be a company standing behind it. I wouldn’t want to take my Chinese electric vehicle to a cell phone store for service.
— L. ScanlanThe NYT should promote this article to the front page of tomorrow’s print addition - next to the Business news article about oil prices slipping below $40 per barrel.
This development has the potential to severely weaken one of the foundations of OPEC’s long-term energy price and utilization forecast -
http://www.opec.org/library/world%20oil%20outlook/WorldOilOutlook08.htm
Thank you BYD Auto !!! - http://www.byd.com/
— JayThere is a lot of ignorance displayed on this blog regarding the company BYD and their Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo4) battery technology. Currently the LiFePo4 is the most commerically viable battery for the electric car market. This is the major reason why Warren Buffett bought 10% of BYD. Rumour has it he plans to invest even more. It is typical of people in America to equate BYD battery to some kind of a low quality cheap product. The truth is far from the nay sayers’ perception. Warren Buffett does not invest in junk. BYD didn’t just come up with this LiFePo4 technology all of a sudden. They have been working on this for many years. It is delusional for us to think that BYD just have a cost advantage in low cost labor. The truth is they also have an intellectual advantage in research and development. For example BYD runs its own university to train its work force. It has a vision to be the number 1 company in the world (not just in terms of cars). This shows it has a very progressive vision and executes the plan accordingly. This is where the detriot big 3 messed up. They have no coherent visions to speak of until forced to do so by the congress. Their visions are based on a constant supply of cheap oil and easy consumer credit. The plan to get there involve praying for a massive infusion of luck.
— TEDI wonder how useful would this car be idling in Southern California traffic for an hour. Will it still get the at least 15 mile range?
— Curious GeorgeThe electric engine is the future for vehicles, whether those vehicles run on natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells or lithium-ion batteries. This is where the United States ought to be spending its funds and resources; and not in subsidizing obsolescent internal combustion engine manufacturers.
— William O’ConnorTo readers:
1. The Chinese car’s range is not limited by idle traffic, unless it has an air conditioner running.
2. Long-term reliability of lithium ferrophosphate batteries is unknown. Potential Chinese response is “disappear.”
3. GM killed the EV1 because of the usual combination of hubris, fear and greed.
4. Of course, the car can be made in the US. Who will warrant it, and at what cost?
5. Technology will not trump low wages. Technology is mobile. People are not.
6. The urban electric truck was popular around 1900 but was abandoned for the versatility of gasoline power.
— AppDevWhat in the world was Detroit thinking?
I am just soooooooooooo tired this.
— mercGood for the Chinese to give this a shot.
Still, if the crash testing of these cars is on par with that of other Chinese cars, I will be waiting for the Volt.
— Tom in Raleigh