China's BYD Wants to Build All-Electric Busses in the U.S.

The Chinese maker of all-electric vehicles that gained a lot of attention in 2008 when investor Warren Buffett bought a 10 percent stake in BYD for$230 million, is now actively looking to build an electric-bus assembly plant in the States.

Micheal Austin, vice president of BYD America, broke the news to WardsAuto, adding that the company has not yet decided on the location for the plant. "Clearly, there are a lot sensitive negotiations that must go on before any of that happens," said Austin.

Read more »

Daimler and BYD Show the First Fruit of Their Chinese Union with Denza Concept in Beijing

Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler and China's BYD (Build Your Dreams) marked the first appearance of their new joint venture brand Denza at a motor show with the world premiere of a new concept model that outlines a production vehicle that will launch in early 2013.

The Denza brand will focus exclusively on pure electric vehicles. Under the deal, the German automaker provides its knowledge in vehicle architecture, safety systems and production, while BYD contributes the batteries and the e-drive system to the joint venture.

Read more »

BYD's Qin Electric Sedan gets a Dashboard-Mounted "i" Robot

We thought we were done with our coverage on the BYD Qin concept until its world premiere at next week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing, but the Chinese automaker released two more photos of the pure-electric sedan in which, surprise, surprise, we found a robot lurking on top of the dashboard.

The pint-sized creation is called "i" Robot and it looks like a cross between a Google Android robot and EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) from Pixar's WALL-E film – that or a futuristic version of South Park's Kenny…

Read more »

BYD Qin Electric Sedan Concept to Debut at the Beijing Auto Show

Chinese carmaker BYD is pretty busy these days as it's preparing to display a host of new production and concept models at next week's 2012 Beijing Auto Show.

Aside from launching the new Denza brand, which is a joint venture for the production of EVs between Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler and BYD, the Chinese automaker will reveal its own pure electric concept model named the Qin.

Read more »

Daimler and China's BYD Name Their New EV Brand Denza

It's been close to two years since Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler and China's BYD formed a new 50-50 joint venture under the name BDNT (BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd) for the development and production of affordable electric vehicles for the Chinese market.

Today, the two companies came out with an official announcement saying that their China market brand will be named Denza and that we'll see the first concept car at the Auto China Show 2012 in Beijing this April, with first production planned in 2013.

Read more »

Daimler and BYD to Preview Upcoming Dedicated EV with a New Concept Model

[BYD e6 EV pictured above]

Joint venture partners Daimler AG and BYD Auto revealed plans today to preview their upcoming dedicated electric-car for China with a new design concept at the next Beijing Auto Show in April of 2012.

Last year, the two companies formed a 50-50 joint R&D venture called "Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd" or "BDNT" for short, to create a new brand that will focus on the development of pure electric vehicles for China.

Read more »

China's BYD Sees Profits Plunge 89% in the First Half of 2011

With a billionaire like Warren Buffett backing you up and forming a partnership with none other than Daimler AG is supposedly a recipe for success. Yet Chinese automaker BYD reported a 89% drop in profits in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2010.

BYD’s sales in the first six months of 2011 were down 23.4%, to 220,131 units. Deliveries of the core models of its range, such as the F0 city car, the F3 compact and the F6 mid-sized sedan plunged right after the governments incentives for new car buyers stopped at the end of last year.

Read more »

New Study Finds that Chinese Buyers Prefer European over Local Brands

Car buyers’ preferences in China are shifting towards European models and away from domestic and even Japanese vehicles, according to a new study published today by JD Power Asia Pacific. This is the third year that the study takes place.

The latest edition included 65 brands and 161 separate models in nine segments and is based on responses from 4,979 potential buyers of new-vehicles located in 53 cities.

Read more »

Will China's BYD Bring the F3DM to the U.S. or will this be Just Another Broken Promise?

When it comes to making cars, China is king. We’re talking the world’s largest car market, with over a hundred individual marques. So why is it that there are virtually zero Chinese car manufactures selling cars in the U.S. aka the world’s other largest car market?

So far, China’s “Big Four” (well, the four most visible to those outside of China) have made and broken promises of bringing their vehicles to the North American market. Brilliance, Chery, Nanjing and Geely have all backed down from their plans to open dealerships and factories stateside. So far, not a single car from China's major automakers has touched down on U.S. soil outside a motor show.

Read more »

China's BYD Debuts Lexus RX-Inspired S6DM Dual-Mode Hybrid at Detroit Motor Show

Chinese automaker BYD marked its fourth consecutive appearance at the North American International Auto Show with the world premiere of the S6DM hybrid, with the DM in the name standing for "Dual-Mode".

The gasoline-electric hybrid is based on the Chinese firm's S6, a mid-size SUV model first introduced at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2009. And no, you're not the only one to find the overall styling of the S6 reminiscent of the previous generation Lexus RX.

Read more »

Daimler and BYD Join Forces, Create a New Brand with Electric Cars for China

Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams) and Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler AG have set up a new joint venture called "Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd," to develop electric vehicles for China.

The two companies said that they are planning to invest a total of 600 million yuan (US$87.9 million) in the 50-50 partnership in China.

According to a statement made by Daimler, the German automaker will bring its "know-how in electric vehicle architecture and safety" to the venture, while BYD will contribute "it's excellence in battery technology and e-drive systems".

Read more »

BYD Auto F3DM EV: China's Volt Makes it to Detroit, will be Launched in the States by 2011

Along with the E6 fully-electric crossover, China's BYD Auto (which stands for Build Your Dreams) also showcased the F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan at its Detroit Show stand. This is not the first time we've seen the F3DM in the U.S. as the Chinese automaker displayed the car at last year's NAIAS.

Looking a lot like a previous generation Toyota Corolla, the 4,533mm (178.4 inches) long FD3M makes use of a small 1.0-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor for a combined output of 168hp (125kw).

Even though some sites have reported now and in the past that the F3DM's hybrid drivetrain works in the same that the Chevy Volt's does, meaning that the gasoline engine doesn't drive the wheels but charges the battery, BYD Auto's press release clearly points towards a system similar to the one found in the Prius.

"When the vehicle needs more power to accelerate, a gasoline engine and an electric motor drive the wheels together to provide greater output and torque," BYD Auto states in the F3DM's press release.

BYD claims that the plug-in hybrid sedan can drive up to 100km or 62 miles on electricity and 580km or 360 miles on a single battery charge and a full tank of gasoline.

The Chinese maker says that the F3DM's battery pack can be charged to 50% power via quick charge in 10 minutes, and 100% power via household charge in seven hours.

The vehicle also features a solar panel sunroof, which can be used to channel power to the battery pack.

According to BYD, the F3DM can sprint from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 10.5 seconds and go on to reach a top speed of 150 km/h or 93mph.

The plug-in hybrid sedan recently went on sale in China for the U.S. equivalent of around $22,000. The company said that it plans to sell the F3DM in the States by 2011.

China's BYD Auto Displays E6 All-Electric Crossover at Detroit Show, Says U.S. Sales Start this Year

In its third consecutive appearance at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Chinese car manufacturer BYD Auto exhibited the all-electric E6 crossover that is planned to go on sale in the United States later this year - or so the company claims.

The E6 measures 4,554mm (179.3 inches ) long, 1,882mm (71.7 inches) wide and 1,630mm (64.2 inches) tall, and can seat up to five-passengers.

It is powered by an electric motor that produces 75kW or 101HP and 450Nm or 332 lb-ft of torque, and drives the front wheels.

BYD Auto says that the E6's FE battery pack offers a driving range of around 330km or 205 miles and can be recharged via any household outlet.

According to the company, the crossover is capable of accelerating from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in less than 14 seconds and has a top speed of 140km/h or 87mph.

BYD Auto e6 Specifications

Length - 4554mm (179.3in )

Width - 1822mm (71.7in )

Height - 1630mm (64.2in )

Wheelbase - 2830mm (111.4in )

Track - 1556mm/1558mm (61in/61in )

Curb weight - 2295kg (5060lbs)

Capacity - 5 seats

Gradeability - ≥30%

Maximum speed - 140km/h (87mph )

0-60mph - Less than 14 seconds

Front motor power/torque - 75kw/450Nm (101hp/332lb-ft)

Rear motor power/torque - N/A

Combined power/torque - N/A

Type - Permanent-magnet type synchronous motor

Power management system - Intelligent central management system

Power outlet - DC380/100A

Range(Cruising mode) - 330km (205 miles )

Actual EV range might vary due to different driving behaviors.

All parameters are for reference only and maybe vary during commercial launch.

VW Exploring Partnership with China's BYD Auto on Hybrids and EVs

The Volkswagen Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with China's "Build Your Dreams" or as Toyota's people may put it, "Copy Your Dreams", BYD Auto to explore the options for partnership in the area of hybrids and electric vehicles powered by lithium ion batteries. The agreement between the two automakers was signed during an informational visit to VW's German headquarters. BYD Auto's delegation that was led by the company's chairman, Wang Chuanfu, consisted of several top managers.

"Volkswagen will consistently expand its successful 'BlueMotionTechnologies'. Hybrids and electric vehicles will play an increasingly important role, of course. Particularly for the Chinese market, potential partners such as BYD could support us in quickly expanding our activities," emphasised Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board for Technical Development at Volkswagen.

During their visit that took place first at the Elektrotraktion Technology Centre in Isenbuttel and then at the German automaker's test tracks in Wolfsburg, BYD Auto's delegation had technical discussions with VW's people while they also had the chance to test drive a variety of vehicles such as the Golf twinDrive and the prototype for an electric vehicle.

BYD Auto has made headlines for launching the world's first mass produced plug-in hybrid, the F3DM, but also for cloning the designs of vehicles such as the Toyota Aygo (F0) and the Lexus RX (S6).

BYD T6: Chinese Maker Readying Porsche Cayenne SUV Clone with 2.0-Liter Engine!

In any other case, we'd have a hard time believing it, but when you're talking about Chinese automakers of the likes of BYD Auto that has a history of cloning other vehicles such as the Lexus RX-lookalike "S6 SUV" and the Toyota Aygo-esque "F0 minicar", everything is possible, even the creation of a Porsche Cayenne SUV knockoff. The above image of the Porsche Cayenne featuring a photoshoped BYD Auto grille circulated in numerous Chinese sites, but we managed to pinpoint the original scan on a Chinese forum.

We're not entirely sure if the photo is from an official brochure as suggested since there's a possibility that it could be sourced from a car magazine. Either way, while we have no knowledge of the Chinese language, we're presuming that the closing sentences in the article mean that BYD Auto's T6 Cayenne knockoff is planned to be introduced in September 2010 and that it will be equipped with a 2.0-liter engine.

BYD Auto isn't the only Chinese firm that has adopted vehicle cloning as an accepted development strategy. As we saw once again at last month's Shanghai Auto Show, many automakers from China follow this method to create new cars like the Landwind X8 - Mitsubishi Outlander, Great Wall Florid - Scion xA, Lifan 320 - MINI Cooper, Yema SQJ6451 - Subaru Forester and Geely GE - Rolls Royce Phantom.

We'll keep a close eye on the "BYD T6" Cayenne story and if (or when) we find something new, we'll post it up immediately.

Via: Le Blog Auto , Photo: Club BYD Auto

China's BYD Auto launches S6 Lexus RX Clone, Holds European Patent for Design Copyrights...

These are the first photos of BYD Auto's newest proposal in the SUV / Crossover segment, the S6 that is bound to make its debut at next month's 2009 Shanghai Auto Show that runs from April 20 to 28. If you haven't noticed it already, the Chinese automaker's SUV looks remarkably similar to the previous generation Lexus RX350. Sure the S6 has a different grille and revised headlamps / tail lights but unless your paycheck is coming from BYD Auto, few will disagree with us when we say that overall, its design shamelessly copies that of the RX350.

But what makes this story even more intriguing and apparently quite frustrating for Toyota / Lexus officials, is that believe it or not, we discovered that BYD Auto has actually succeeded in patenting the S6's design (see photo gallery bellow) at the European trademark office!

We don't have any other information on the S6 other than it is scheduled to go on sale in China later on in the year. However, what we really would like to find out is what Toyota and Lexus have to say about this latest cloning incident from China.

BYD AUTO S6 vs 2007 LEXUS RX350

___________________________________________________

BYD AUTO S6 European Design Patents

____________________________________________________________

BYD S6 pics: Sina