China’s BYD launches a hybrid electric car.
Posted by F. S. KAMAL on December 19th, 2008
BYD, a company mostly known for supplying batteries to the mobile phone makers, has recently acquired vehicles manufacturing plants thus becoming China’s youngest automaker. They are also the first to launch China’s first mass produced hybrid electric car, the BYD F3DM.
The hybrid car is equipped with a dual hybrid power system, a world’s first, allowing the driver to switch between EV and HEV modes. It can run for 100 km on battery power before switching on the 1.0 litre engine to charge the batteries and complete the journey.
Competing models from GM and Toyota allow only 25 km per battery charge.
According to BYD, the Dual Model of the car refers to the combination of an electric drive system and a hybrid system. Users can either refuel the hybrid system or use the domestic electrical outlets to recharge the battery.
Currently being introduced into the Chinese market for 149,800 yuan, around US$ 21.000, the car will head for the export markets in 2010.