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Of the five Chinese companies on show at
Detroit, perhaps the most significant is BYD, which is promising
breakthrough electric vehicle technology through its self-developed
ferrous batteries. BYD has only
been an automaker since 2003, when it acquired a small car company
called Qingchuan Motor. The company’s core business is producing
batteries for mobile phones – it supplies companies including Nokia and
Motorola. Since then it has developed its auto business, selling more
than 100,000 cars in China in 2007, and the company sees major synergy
between its batteries and its cars.
BYD showed four models at Detroit,
including the F6 large sedan with BYD’s DM (dual mode) electric hybrid
system, a technology that the company claims will revolutionise
alternative powertrain systems. “We believe DM technology will replace
current hybrid technology,” said BYD vice-president Micheal Austin. “It
will change the world as we know it today.”
The F6DM has a range of around 60 miles
in electric mode and a further 190 miles when using the petrol engine as
a generator to charge the battery pack. And the ferrous batteries have a
rapid charge facility - BYD said they can be recharged to 50% of
capacity in just 10 minutes, though a full recharge takes 9 hours.
The F6DM will go on sale in China later
this year, with a £3,000 price premium over the standard F6. The cars
won’t go on sale in the US until 2010 at the earliest. Austin believes
the greatest potential exists with the DM and battery technology. He
would like to offer it to a partner, but said none of the US Big Three
had expressed an interest.
BYD is planning to attend the Geneva
Show in March, and will show new Europe-oriented models. |
