One should hope that the tech is sound. If licensed there is little doubt user companies will have their engineers go over it for potential fatal flaws.

Electricity, once you know its fairly simple rules, is actually easier to work with than an ICE.

But until otherwise noted, China can keep their cars. The Tech I’d gladly like a look at, but the cars can stay in China.

An “industrial grade hook-up at a service station”? Here’s an entreprenurial opportunity: service station charges for a charge, then hopes you’ll buy a beverage and snacks, and maybe play a videogame or buy a magazine, while you’re waiting in the lounge.

The vehicle’s design is not bad, and will appeal to the mass market if brought to the States; Berkshire’s investment shows confidence.

According to McElroy, this concept is really rough up-close. Apparently, fit and finish are really terrible both inside and out. And this is the car they BROUGHT to the show!

The other issue is that BYD’s other car is just a re-tinselled last-gen Corolla.

And while the designs may either be familiar or modern-looking originals, crash safety is still a HUGE concern along with refinement.

I’d much rather invest my money in a name-brand vehicle with the same tech. Not a tin Chinese accordion-on-wheels with a melamine air freshener.

I’m sure in a few years, a few million dollars, and a bit of patience would make BYD a nice brand in America, but, thus is life, it isn’t yet. The tech is promising,as is BYD. But right now, not now.

They could make much money in partnering in an outside source and produce these rapid-charging EVs here. That’s one idea.

-eat your cereal

If the batteries are indeed that good then BYD would do better to license the technology to others or scale up and concentrate solely on batteries bypassing the huge cost of bringing their cars to other markets, especially N/A. With EV it’s all about a) the batteries, b) the motor controller firmware and c) weight. Get the mixture right and marketable at a reasonable price then you win big.

What does BYD stand for? Bury Your Daughters? Does this mean they’re coming after our children next?

10 minutes…. wow that is a kick ass technology!

Johnnycanuck, they are not coming after our children, they are just trying to do what the big 3 could not do, and that is making our life easier

And for Rick Wagoner, look what the chinos are doing… god damn you Rick

And by the way Johnny… I like that BYD definition of yours LOL hahahahah

BYD is the worlds largest producer of Lithium batteries but…..

It’s not really new technology. This LiFePO4 battery chemistry was originally developed at the University of Texas in 1996, and later perfected by researchers at MIT. This fast charge capability has been commercially available in Dewalt Lithium Iron packs for a few years.

A123 systems (the company GM did not choose for the Volt) actually has a version (M1 ultra) that can achieve 90% charge in 5 minutes. This fast charge ability also allows the cells to discharge at an extremely high rate without catastrophic failure.

Currently the worlds fastest electric vehicle is a drag motorcycle. As of october 23rd 2008 it has acheived a best run of 7.955 seconds at 174.05 mph. This bike uses A123 systems version of this supposed new technology.

Check out the video at “killacycle dot com”

Hey dra,
Thank you for the infos, that is cool !

oops…. 7.89 at 164 was the quickest time, and 7.955 at 174 was the highest top speed.

drg: Great comments. How does the energy or power density compare to that of typical lithium batteries, like the ones used by Tesla? How does the cost compare? Do you know if the cells can be shapes other than cylinders (like lithium polymer batteries)? Why hasn’t GM considered using this technology; if A123 has a version? BYD must be pretty confident in the long-term durability if they’re going ahead with this.

The power density of A123 cells is approximately 80% of the traditional Lipo cells, but greater than tradition LiFePO4 cells.

They are more expensive, but they withstand 2,000 charge cycles before significant degredation in capacity, while traditional Lipo cells only last 1,000 cycles.

They could be shaped into flat pack like LiPo cells, but A123 has been concentrating on cylinders so far.

GM actually did consider this tech. GM picked two competitors for the Volt project, LG Chem and A123 Systems. They recently announced LG Chem was awarded the contract. According to GM, LG Chem was the logical choice because they are a much larger company compared to A123, and are already set up to produce flat packs. GM also did not want to risk going with a small company on a project like this.

Another key benifit that A123 and other LiFePO4 cells, have over LiPo cells is durability. If you punture a normal LiPo cell it burns rapidly on contact with air. This can happen by charging/discharging too fast (the cell swells and sometimes bursts), or by physically rupturing the casing (like from a violent auto accident).

Try Googling LiPo fire. After you watch some videos, you’ll understand why these companies spend so much time testing the batteries and charging systems.

I like the range but I believe Phosphate Batteries could be extremely dangerous to the passenger and other cars if this car gets into an accident and this catches fire.

If BYD batteries are anywhere near as lousy as the Energizers made in China, then they can keep them. Energizers used to be my battery of choice … then they sourced them out of China and the life expectancy diminished to that of garbage radio shack batts. I switched back to Duracell Golds made in either the USA or Japan and have never gone back.

Screw Chinese batteries.
BYD = Batteries You’ll Detest

Do any of you own a pack of quick-charge batteries? I have some Energizer 10-minute-charge batteries, and they get HOT; I’d say about 160 degrees while charging. It would be interesting to see how they plan to dump that much heat as the vehicle is charged.

for a few laughs, check out their website.

The Mecedes rip-off has leather rear seats, a dardened glass roof, steering wheel that is lightsome to the the touch, a dash board

EV cars are making a come back, But I rather hold out for Hydrogen Cell Cars, it’s cheap to produce and the end result is water. Sure Hydrogen is highly combustible, but it burns so quickly and the next thing you know the fire is out. Unlike lithium-ion and if it dose go up in fire. good luck trying to put it out… Or worse if the batter pack bust open the fumes of the acid alone will call out the Fire Dept. Haz-Mat team to contain the spill.

The guy’s in the body shop next door send photos to Exotic Wrecks on the Prius that they had, the one with the busted battery pack.T the salvage yard that picked it up needed to have the Fire Dept. Haz-Mat team put another diaper on the wrecked, and they had to put Haz-mat stickers all over the junk, don’t know what they are going to do with it, but all that just makes you wonder. Don’t know if they will post the photo, it more the big show they made not to spill nor breath the acid…

Dang it, the front grill look like Ford Focus. Freaking copy cat from Ford. Anyhow who would want to buy it. After couple thousand miles you might need the new battery replacement and it going to cost more then the car. Chinese stuff always known for Cheap S***.

yarddog82abn & Bankruptcy2009: one of the main points to iron phosphate batteries is the fire risk is next to nothing.

This is an embarrasment that China developed this technology before America did. We truly are a country in decline.

regardless of what the vehicle looks like here, its just a matter of time before other car companys have to pay BYD just to use the technology

Nick Aziz,

They are also far more durable, lasting several times longer than “normal” Lith-poly batteries, and can be charged to 75-85% in 10-20 minutes.

Iron Phosphate, Not to be confused with phosphorus, is extremely stable. They produce very little heat when fast or slow charging or subjected to hard discharges. More importantly they make no Oxygen. The Trinity of Fire says you have to have Fuel, Heat and Oxygen. Iron Phosphate batteries again, produce very little heat and no oxygen.

Jonmiles,

The aggravating part of this is not that AMERICA does not have the technology, it is that AMERICA basically does NOT have the infrastructure to product the technology domestically in anywhere near sufficient quantity. It was sold off like our solar and wind industries. The people who owned it thought only of the money they would make then instead of now.

Thanks for covering this Leftlane!

Blakarr, if you get in a wreck, then the other car may catch fire-heat
also, if you are on earth, then there is oxygen, so…
I am also waiting for Hydrogen fuel cells, all of the environmental damage that just goes into making the batteries is worse than saving Gas. Come on Hydrogen fuel cells!