Subscribe by Email
While we’ve been following the government bailout of U.S. automakers, who have been chastised for their slow adoption of alternative-fuel vehicles, China’s largest battery manufacturer has begun to sell its plug-in hybrid vehicle for about 150,000 yuan (about $21,900).
Called the F3DM, this vehicle will be on display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 11-25. What’s notable is that the car’s on sale in China now, at least two years before the Chevy Volt; it has a range of 62 miles vs. the Volt’s 40-mile range; and it’s being offered at a much lower cost. (The Volt will have an estimated $40,000 price tag.)
Interestingly, the car has three power options to extend its 62-mile driving range:
- full battery-powered electric mode;
- series-hybrid mode, in which an engine drives a generator to recharge the batteries (the Volt will feature a range-extender like this);
- parallel hybrid mode, in which the engine and motor work like a hybrid vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius.
Even more intriguing i
s that BYD, the company that manufactures it, began making vehicles in just the past few years. The company has announced plans to sell its F3DM vehicle in the United States in 2010, which means it could hit the U.S. market before the Volt does.
The company is also working on the BYD E6 electric car, which it showed at the Beijing auto show back in April. Although it’s currently a concept car, BYD is hoping to roll it out in 2010. It will be interesting to hear consumers’ opinions about these BYD vehicles, especially during a period when more auto manufacturers are expected to be introducing hybrid-electric vehicles of their own.