Chinese car manufacturers BYD and Chery are to sell their hybrid and PHEV models to the Chinese market later this year. BYD and Chery To Launch New Hybrids in China BYD's F3DM will go on sale for $14,500. It is a plug-in hybrid using a 19.8 kWh lithium-ion battery. To extend range, it has a 1.0L gasoline engine combined with a 50kW motor and a 20kW power generator. The EV-mode range is 60 miles. Neither model is to be sold to the USA market this year.
And somehow we need to wait til 2010 for a plug-in. They have a lithium battery and it plugs in. Talking about slow.......on the volt or even the next gen prius
This could be a big step. You can't even buy that battery here for $14.5k, let alone complete car. They still have to prove its reliability though. So far US Li-ion like A123 have been robust but pricey. The testing I've seen on Chinese cells has been pretty spotty, but they are a lot cheaper. I think GM is struggling with that very issue. They've worked with A123 who can give them a ready made solution, but they probably can't afford it in the BOM. Now they are looking at Chinese solutions, but i wonder how reliable they will be? Rob
The BYD cells are already used in everything from mobile phones to laptops from the world's most respected suppliers. BYD are one of the biggest lithium-ion battery producing companies in the world, with an excellent quality record for their existing products. If anyone can make safe, high quality autmotive LiFePO4 at a reasonable price, its BYD. As for safety testing of the vehicles, they have recently undergone (and easily passed) Euro NCAP testing. You can watch a video of a BYD F3 test here:
