BYD Auto Co.of China has announced its plans to enter the U.S. and European markets by late 2008 or early 2009. The Chinese automaker is one of five that will be attending this year’s Detroit Auto Show and says it will be displaying plug-in hybrid and electric cars.
Hybrid and Electric plans
BYD currently only make gasoline-powered cars, but its parent company — BYD Co. — is one of the leading rechargeable-battery manufacturers in the world. “We will display all of our models in Detroit next year, and the battery car will be our highlight,” Xia Zhibing, BYD Auto’s sales general manager, told Automotive News. “We need to go to the top markets in the world.”
BYD plans to bring a plug-in hybrid to market by late 2008 and an all-electric model by 2009. According to the company, its first plug-in hybrid model — the F6DM — will have a range of 267 miles, will be able to travel up to 62 miles on battery-power alone and will have a top speed of 99 mph. The battery pack will take 2,000 charges — the equivalent of 7-10 years of use — and will take about 9 hours to fully charge. However, BYD claims that a special power station can give the batteries a 50% charge after only 10 minutes.
Xia says the car will sell for about $26,700.
The company failed to release any details on its electric-only cars.
Batteries
BYD will use lithium iron phosphate batteries in its cars, a technology that has a spotty track record. According to one source, the batteries are “heavy, costly and difficult to mass-produce with consistent quality.” BYD officials admit that the batteries have not been tested by an independent third party. BYD could also face patent conflicts if it brings the batteries to the U.S.
Xia also stated that BYD plans to stop using internal combustion engines and make the switch to all-electric powertrains by 2015.
However, BYD’s bold claims should be taken with a grain of salt. The automaker has stated that it will be China’s largest by 2015, but is only on track to sell about 100,000 cars this year. In contrast, the largest automaker currently hailing from China — Chery — sold 300,000 units in 2006 and is on track to sell 800,000 in 2008.



11/28, 10:09 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Paper promises, paper promises, paper promises. I especially love the part about the SUPER DUPER MAGICAL POWER STATION. I have one of those in my garage. Doesn’t everyone? Wait, it doesn’t exist? Oh…
Can’t wait till these are on the roads. Now when some idiot blindly pulls out in front of me, I can worry about whether I’m going to be hit with manslaughter charges.
11/28, 10:10 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
As an aside, does anyone realize that whether it’s a government or company, anything coming from anyone of stature in China is either a huge exaggeration or an outright lie?
11/28, 10:28 AM
posted by:
cookie4me
Can I get lead paint with that?
11/28, 10:42 AM
posted by:
autonut
Aren’t they finished building communism or it is still work in progress? Insofar they have problems building toy cars for our market and I don’t give a **** how many many cars they’ve painted with led paint for internal market. They killed more of their countrymen during cultural revolution then japs killed them during WWII, so if few more millions will get poisoning or cancer who gives a fcuk? Certainly not their communist party.
11/28, 10:47 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Not to mention if you don’t live in a big city, you are F-U-C-K-E-D. Next stop on the soldier rape train: Obscure Village #253!
11/28, 10:55 AM
posted by:
RicardoHead
Read it and weep, 1115 ….
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071128/bs_nm/toyota_recall_dc;_ylt=AhNjexSBqY9sKKjNYAxBeXG573QA
Toyota to recall 215,020 Lexus, other cars in Japan
TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said on Wednesday it would recall 215,020 units of the Lexus GS, Crown and three other high-end car models in Japan to fix a faulty fuel pipe that could lead to a fuel leakage.
The recall covers Crown, Lexus GS350, Lexus IS250, Lexus IS350 and Mark X sedans manufactured between December 2003 and December 2005, Japan’s top automaker said in a filing with the transport ministry. No accident has been reported.
Another 49,000 of the Lexus models with the same design defect will be recalled in the United States, Britain and Canada and other markets, a spokesman said.
11/28, 10:57 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Uh-oh. Any minute now LLN will post that, and the import humpers will go into a frenzy. This is gonna be a comment-filled day.
I’m sure they’ll find some way to call it insignificant.
11/28, 11:03 AM
posted by:
RicardoHead
CA36 – the official import-humper line will be that these are prior year models, and prior year recalls are only relevant if the vehicles are GM, Ford, or Chrysler.
11/28, 11:11 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
True. If I remember correctly, they were more up in arms about GM recalling 2002 Silverados than they were about Toyota recalling 2007 Tundras.
11/28, 11:26 AM
posted by:
A4
NEWS FLASH: BYD of China to leave U.S. market by 2010
11/28, 11:38 AM
posted by:
autonut
A4, it is unrealistic news flash. In order to leave the market you have to enter it first. China will enter it after they complete construction of Communism. This event completion is not scheduled before 2058.
11/28, 11:59 AM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Are they going to build giant walls around all their dealerships so that we don’t have to look at these things when they arrive? The walls might also help in containing the debris when the inevitable ’special power station’ first blows up.
I also wonder if all the sales staff will be forced to wear identical psuedo-military garb and be coerced into using their lunch breaks to terrorize any local Tibeten citizens who happen to live within their demo’s range.
11/28, 12:04 PM
posted by:
frylock350
So they’ll be selling them. Problem is who in their right mind would ever buy one?
11/28, 12:10 PM
posted by:
planet_drive
Just like we used to laugh at hyundai in the begining (and they were lousy cars back then) Its just a matter of time till the Chinese start building higher quality cars that will cause us to give it a second glance. We can laugh all we want now, but 6-7 years from now Chinese cars will become even more bad news for domestic automakers. And domestic car makers are not ignoring the chines car makers because they learned their lesson when they snubbed their nose at Hyundai, and now Hyundai is building better and higher quality cars that recieve better overall customer satisfaction than domestic car owners. Just read any consumer reports and JD Power articles.
11/28, 12:18 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
planet_drive: it took Hyundai 20 years to get where they are today. The world’s not going to stop moving so that the Chinese can catch up. 6-7 years is an awfully short time.
11/28, 12:22 PM
posted by:
trooper1
^agreed planet. The big 3 will pay attention this time unlike when Hyundai entered the US market. We got 2 V6 Sonatas as undercovers donated to us by a local dealership and they have been very reliable and have held up better than alot of the police package vehicles we got. Over 70k in just over 2 years of service and still running strong and fast. They both got upgraded software to run on premium and a K&N filter. The Chinese are not coming they are already here. I don’t think its good news for our auto industry, I already have a cousin laid off from Chrysler and its not easy now for him and his family but thats the unfortunate reality of international economics. Survival of the fittest.
11/28, 12:47 PM
posted by:
Impulsive
It’s not a metter of IF, only WHEN. ‘planet_drive’ and ‘trooper1′ have touched on what the future portends.
11/28, 12:56 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
yeah a car that runs on 9 volt batteries, china is really good at that.
trooper1 **** you pig. get to work you lazy bastard little old ladies need tickets and the donut shop misses giving you the maple bar in your donut hole.
11/28, 1:02 PM
posted by:
trooper1
Well now we all see what an intelligent gentleman you are CTS. Just remember, when you hear someone breaking into your house at night, its us you will call for help, and its us that will do our very best to come save you and catch the person trying to harm you. And I hate donuts. Especially that nasty Krispy Kreme, that stuff should be illegal.
11/28, 1:11 PM
posted by:
sharpie
I’ll believe it when I see it. I don’t think they can pass the tough safety regulations in a year.
11/28, 1:13 PM
posted by:
RicardoHead
Where I live, if someone breaks in, I get to shoot their äss – and you’d better believe I will. Oh yes, and I know better than to “shoot to incapacitate” – you gotta kill the sucker to avoid being sued.
11/28, 1:13 PM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Trooper, I have no reason to believe you are lying about your personal experiences, but just because whatever department you work for only buys really old Vics and Impalas for your fleet doesn’t make domestic cars bad. The reason cars like Sonatas are used for undercover work is because no one expects a foreign car to be a cop.
Somehow I think if you had a shiny new Charger SRT-8 pursuit car tomorrow, you would change your tune.
11/28, 1:26 PM
posted by:
vm54
Don’t underestimate the Chinese! It won’t take them 20 years, or even 6-7, to catch up. There’s a video of a disastrous crash test all over YouTube — the car was reintroduced just 79 days later and performed much, much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e9XuG0WYS8&feature=related
11/28, 1:35 PM
posted by:
LP640
mr chinaman is taking over
11/28, 1:35 PM
posted by:
frylock350
planet_drive I still laugh at hyundais. I laugh at Hondas too (they called the CR-V and Element “trucks”, now THAT’S funny). I”ve yet to see anything from Hyundai that would make me want to turn in the keys to my truck.
To add to the cop car discussion there are STILL early 90s Caprice squad cars running about in Chicago with near half a million miles on them. LT1-powered squad cars simply don’t die. Do you even know the reason the Crown Vic is used as a squad car and why law enforcement complained when Ford talked of ending Crown Vic production? The big Ford is physically alot more durable than anything else due to its truck-like body-on-frame construction. It takes the abuse far better than uni-body construction does. Plus its far more comfortable to ride in a BOF vehicle over extended periods of time as they don’t transfer as much shock/vibration to the occupants. Some departments test using Tahoes as squad cars for the same durability reason (and believe it or not a 5.3L Tahoe can beat a 4.6L Vic’s economy).
I’m also not buying the story about converting a Sonata to run on premium and using an after market filter. Police departments do not deviate from OEM equipment (guess what that does to warranties) and K&N would certainly not be a parts supplier they’d contract with. And no department would intentionally make a vehicle run on premium when regular would suffice.
11/28, 1:48 PM
posted by:
CTS DRIVER
trooper1 hahahahaha crispy cremes ****ing suck ass you can feel the sugar crunchin in your teeth, no wonder so many people are fat. you know i am just screwing around rite
.
.
somebody please start an argument with deantj i am running low on insults and new swear words.:)
11/28, 1:57 PM
posted by:
TOZO
Why must they insist on bringing their junk over here? This is not the New Jersey of the automobile market, you know.
11/28, 1:57 PM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Frylock, I’d sure as hell rather be in a Crown Vic than a Sonata when some nutjob decides to ram me.
11/28, 3:11 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
cookie: question isn’t whether you can get lead paint. It’s whether you can paint it yourself!
R-Head: “CA36 – the official import-humper line will be that these are prior year models, and prior year recalls are only relevant if the vehicles are GM, Ford, or Chrysler.”
So true, and yes, they were more up in arms about GM recalling 2002 Silverados than they were about Toyota recalling 2007 Tundras.
A4: You’re certainly optimistic.
planet: “Just like we used to laugh at Hyundai in the beginning (and they were lousy cars back then) Its just a matter of time till the Chinese start building higher quality cars that will cause us to give it a second glance.”
That’s probably a fair statement.
‘We can laugh all we want now, but 6-7 years from now Chinese cars will become even more bad news for domestic automakers.”
But not for domestic auto buyers!
But don’t ever, EVER, use consumer reports or JD Power to back up your point. Just makes you look like an idiot.
trooper1: The jury has found you guilty of bein’ a redneck,
whitebread, chicken**** mother****er
and “a lot” is 2 words.
R-Head: I learned at an early age that the Po-Lice ain’t your friend. But neither are the gangs. Four biggest gangs in L.A.: Crips, Bloods, LAPD and LASD.
The law should be, if someone breaks in, it’s open season on that ass – a man’s home is his castle, damnit!
CA36: “Somehow I think if you had a shiny new Charger SRT-8 pursuit car tomorrow, you would change your tune.”
way to set that pig straight!
Frylock: “Police departments do not deviate from OEM equipment.” No ****, and they usually get strippers.
11/28, 3:34 PM
posted by:
Commodore
China does worry me. Especially since one day when they become a true superpower they will be competing directly with America. Hopefully, their government will collapse like the Soviet Union’s did. Otherwise, it is like Cold War II. The point is, they are pretty ambitions and actually have a shot at taking down America and this is one FAR FETCHED example of this.
Just look at how afraid everyone already is of China! Toyoda is afraid to sue them for copying their little city car and BMW is afraid to sue them for copying their logo. Why? Because if they sued them, the Chinese government might ban those companies from importing cars here.
11/28, 7:18 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
frylock350: I’m afraid there are many people out there who (unfortunately) don’t have a clue when they’re buying a vehicle, all they care about is how cheap they can get it, ignoring everything else like safety standards etc.
11/29, 12:48 AM
posted by:
okano
why make fun of china?
aren’t most of the stuff in where you living right now made in china?
and please, i don’t want china’s government collapse like Soviet Union, i don’t want to die
11/29, 12:56 AM
posted by:
sharpie
“China does worry me. Especially since one day when they become a true superpower they will be competing directly with America. Hopefully, their government will collapse like the Soviet Union’s did.”
Nope, it is Putin who is copying the Chinese model. They let you have the free economy and some forms of private asset, but they clamp down on the political freedom (including controlling the mass media, internet and even universities). A person who has their creature comfort isn’t as likely to complain than one who is starving.
You bet the communist Chinese government will be around. The only hope is the educated, especially those educated overseas would one day start another Tienanmen Square protest to overthrow this oppressive regime!
11/29, 7:33 AM
posted by:
Get Real
Overthrow with what……..Paper and Pens ???
The first Tienanmen square showed, as history does, that guns and bullets rule any country.
The USA is a STUPID country for dealing so much with Communist China…not China….COMMUNIST China, seems they leave that first word out of the country’s name.
The cold war worked because people cared about freedom….and fighting evil governments….now the USA follows profits and whores itself out for money.
11/29, 7:44 AM
posted by:
CA36GTP
Get Real, the ability to pursue individual profit and success is an effect of…gasp…liberty.
11/29, 12:19 PM
posted by:
jackjimturkey
okano: some american flags are made in china