Posts by mememe
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Re: BYD e6
BYD said that the e6 will hit chinese roads by 2009 or 2010.
BYD said that the e6 will hit chinese roads by 2009 or 2010.
BYD to sell electric cars in Israel by 2009
August 07, 2008
Shanghai, August 7 (Gasgoo.com) China's BYD Automobile Co Ltd said Tuesday it will start to sell mass rechargeable electric cars in Israel by 2009, with other European market followed in the following years, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"BYD plans to sell BYD E6 Electric and Plug-in Hybrid F6DM in Israel, a country that strongly supports environmental technologies," an BYD official in charge of the company's export operations said.
The Israeli government announced early this year an ambitious plan to install the world's first electric car network in Israel by 2011. Moreover, the country offers big tax cuts for electric cars.
BYD's E6 electric vehicles, set for sale in 2009 in Israel, will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology.
F6DM is a mid-sized sedan to be launched in China in the second half of 2008. Top speed should be 100 mph (160 kph), with a range of 62 miles (100 km) in all-electric mode and 267 miles (430 km) total after the gas engine kicks in. A fully electric version called the F6E is planned for 2009.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/7354/BYD-to-sell-electric-cars-in-Israel-by-2009.html
August 07, 2008
Shanghai, August 7 (Gasgoo.com) China's BYD Automobile Co Ltd said Tuesday it will start to sell mass rechargeable electric cars in Israel by 2009, with other European market followed in the following years, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
"BYD plans to sell BYD E6 Electric and Plug-in Hybrid F6DM in Israel, a country that strongly supports environmental technologies," an BYD official in charge of the company's export operations said.
The Israeli government announced early this year an ambitious plan to install the world's first electric car network in Israel by 2011. Moreover, the country offers big tax cuts for electric cars.
BYD's E6 electric vehicles, set for sale in 2009 in Israel, will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology.
F6DM is a mid-sized sedan to be launched in China in the second half of 2008. Top speed should be 100 mph (160 kph), with a range of 62 miles (100 km) in all-electric mode and 267 miles (430 km) total after the gas engine kicks in. A fully electric version called the F6E is planned for 2009.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/7354/BYD-to-sell-electric-cars-in-Israel-by-2009.html
BYD iron based rechargeable battery
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High Safety Performance
Thermal stability, cathode material and strict design process help Fe battery meet all requirements of safety related regulations.
High Energy Density
The Fe battery can deliver 2 times higher voltage than NiMH battery.
Low Cost
The Fe Battery is comparatively inexpensive when compared to other energy solutions.
Environment-Friendly
This battery is environmental-friendly because it does not contain any pollutants.
Outstanding Performance
This battery has many other excellent characteristics, such as long cycle life, wide temperature range, and large discharge capacity at high levels.
High Safety Performance
Thermal stability, cathode material and strict design process help Fe battery meet all requirements of safety related regulations.
High Energy Density
The Fe battery can deliver 2 times higher voltage than NiMH battery.
Low Cost
The Fe Battery is comparatively inexpensive when compared to other energy solutions.
Environment-Friendly
This battery is environmental-friendly because it does not contain any pollutants.
Outstanding Performance
This battery has many other excellent characteristics, such as long cycle life, wide temperature range, and large discharge capacity at high levels.
Clash of titans: IDB in separate electric car talks
24 Aug 08
IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH) is near to "closing final details" on its own electric car venture with Chinese car manufacturer BYD Auto. The venture would rival that of Shai Agassi's Project Better Place.
Israeli sources inform "Globes" that Discount Investment Corporation (TASE: DISI) is the representative party with the Chinese.
Israel's grandiose call to end its "dependence on oil" and its plans to launch nationwide infrastructure for recharging electric cars attracted attention worldwide and especially in China. In early August, company executives were quoted by Chinese news agency Xinhua as saying the company intended to market an electric car and a rechargeable hybrid car in Israel.
The executives were quoted following a visit by company executives to Israel. They reported being very excited by their visit, and their director of exports pointed to a meeting with President Shimon Peres who "enthusiastically supported" development of an electric car.
BYD completed development of its five-seater F3 electric car model two years ago, and is working as well on a minivan-type model. (There is currently a F3 model with a gas-powered engine). Its electric motor is powered by an innovative Lithium iron phosphate battery.
The parent company of the car manufacturer is Chinese battery concern BYD (HK: 0285) one of the world's largest battery manufacturers. This fact gives the small car company access to substantial R&D resources.
IDB, led by Nochi Dankner, is involved in nearly all areas of Israel's economy, but until now has not been directly involved in automobile imports. However, at least two of its strategic partners have quite a bit of experience in the field. The Lubinsky family, which has a 25% holding, is the importer of Peugeot and Citroen, and has a wide network of service and logistics centers. The Livnat family, who also holds 25%, has experience in Israel's truck industry, and in the past four years has garnered much experience in car imports in Croatia, where it holds the franchise for Ford imports.
As such, it is possible that Israel will soon witness the entry of Nochi Dankner's conglomerate into a project which will eventually compete with Project Better Place and the Ofer brothers, in the electric car infrastructure in Israel - and abroad, as well. It may or may not display the same Israeli-Sino cooperation model that the Ofers have with Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery Automobile. It is also still not known if at some point there will be some form of collaboration on the infrastructure.
What is clear, is that a field which has yet to get off the ground is already the focus of different ventures, and if two different recharging infrastructures are put in place, it will certainly lead to consumer confusion. It is also clear that this is a field for giants, and that smaller firms will have a very hard time getting into it.
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000375018&fid=1725
24 Aug 08
IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH) is near to "closing final details" on its own electric car venture with Chinese car manufacturer BYD Auto. The venture would rival that of Shai Agassi's Project Better Place.
Israeli sources inform "Globes" that Discount Investment Corporation (TASE: DISI) is the representative party with the Chinese.
Israel's grandiose call to end its "dependence on oil" and its plans to launch nationwide infrastructure for recharging electric cars attracted attention worldwide and especially in China. In early August, company executives were quoted by Chinese news agency Xinhua as saying the company intended to market an electric car and a rechargeable hybrid car in Israel.
The executives were quoted following a visit by company executives to Israel. They reported being very excited by their visit, and their director of exports pointed to a meeting with President Shimon Peres who "enthusiastically supported" development of an electric car.
BYD completed development of its five-seater F3 electric car model two years ago, and is working as well on a minivan-type model. (There is currently a F3 model with a gas-powered engine). Its electric motor is powered by an innovative Lithium iron phosphate battery.
The parent company of the car manufacturer is Chinese battery concern BYD (HK: 0285) one of the world's largest battery manufacturers. This fact gives the small car company access to substantial R&D resources.
IDB, led by Nochi Dankner, is involved in nearly all areas of Israel's economy, but until now has not been directly involved in automobile imports. However, at least two of its strategic partners have quite a bit of experience in the field. The Lubinsky family, which has a 25% holding, is the importer of Peugeot and Citroen, and has a wide network of service and logistics centers. The Livnat family, who also holds 25%, has experience in Israel's truck industry, and in the past four years has garnered much experience in car imports in Croatia, where it holds the franchise for Ford imports.
As such, it is possible that Israel will soon witness the entry of Nochi Dankner's conglomerate into a project which will eventually compete with Project Better Place and the Ofer brothers, in the electric car infrastructure in Israel - and abroad, as well. It may or may not display the same Israeli-Sino cooperation model that the Ofers have with Chinese vehicle manufacturer Chery Automobile. It is also still not known if at some point there will be some form of collaboration on the infrastructure.
What is clear, is that a field which has yet to get off the ground is already the focus of different ventures, and if two different recharging infrastructures are put in place, it will certainly lead to consumer confusion. It is also clear that this is a field for giants, and that smaller firms will have a very hard time getting into it.
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000375018&fid=1725
IDB to face stiff resistance to Chinese car imports
26 Aug 08
Chinese car manufacturer BYD has already granted licenses to rivals.
"The IDB unit, which is negotiating for the franchise to import BYD electrical cars to Israel, could face stiff competition in the Israeli automobile sector," a senior market source told "Globes" yesterday. He was commenting in response to the report in "Globes" that IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH) is in talks with Chinese car maker BYD for a franchise to import electric cars to Israel.
The source added that Hamizrach, the Israeli importer of Land Rover, already holds a BYD franchise, signed by the company's representative in Israel. The source believes that Hamizrach has been promoting BYD cars in Israel since last year, although it has not singled out the Chinese maker's electric models.
The source also believes a third player, Mayer Cars and Trucks Ltd., the importer of Volvo and Honda, is also angling for a franchise from BYD and is still very much in the picture. "Globes" understands that senior Mayer managers recently held talks with representatives from BYD. Jacob Shachar confirmed to "Globes" that a meeting had been held between the two sides.
Automobile sector sources believe that IDB is apparently seeking to expand a BYD franchise to other markets in Eastern Europe, one of which could be Croatia. BYD reportedly views Israel as a "test site" for its electric cars. The company is therefore likely to market both these and its hybrid models separately and award individual franchises for each.
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000375752&fid=1725
26 Aug 08
Chinese car manufacturer BYD has already granted licenses to rivals.
"The IDB unit, which is negotiating for the franchise to import BYD electrical cars to Israel, could face stiff competition in the Israeli automobile sector," a senior market source told "Globes" yesterday. He was commenting in response to the report in "Globes" that IDB Holding Corp. Ltd. (TASE:IDBH) is in talks with Chinese car maker BYD for a franchise to import electric cars to Israel.
The source added that Hamizrach, the Israeli importer of Land Rover, already holds a BYD franchise, signed by the company's representative in Israel. The source believes that Hamizrach has been promoting BYD cars in Israel since last year, although it has not singled out the Chinese maker's electric models.
The source also believes a third player, Mayer Cars and Trucks Ltd., the importer of Volvo and Honda, is also angling for a franchise from BYD and is still very much in the picture. "Globes" understands that senior Mayer managers recently held talks with representatives from BYD. Jacob Shachar confirmed to "Globes" that a meeting had been held between the two sides.
Automobile sector sources believe that IDB is apparently seeking to expand a BYD franchise to other markets in Eastern Europe, one of which could be Croatia. BYD reportedly views Israel as a "test site" for its electric cars. The company is therefore likely to market both these and its hybrid models separately and award individual franchises for each.
http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/DocView.asp?did=1000375752&fid=1725
BYD's cheap green cars to enter developed market
September 02, 2008
At a time when Western international car makers are exploring opportunities in emerging markets, a start-up China auto company, BYD Auto, is adopting a similar strategy to explore overseas markets as domestic demand is softening due to a slow-down in the home economy.
President Wang Chuanfu says BYD’s global strategy is to expand into Europe, the US, Russia, the Middle East and Latin America. BYD Auto is counting on its plug-in hybrid models, known as the Dual Mode (DM) series, to break into the European and US markets. Its F3DM, to be launched by the end of this year, is going to be the world’s cheapest hybrid automobile, starting at RMB 100, 000, around US $15,000.
Its fully electric E6 and plug-in hybrid electric F6DM will hit the market in Israel in 2009, well ahead of the appearance of GM’s Chevy Volt, which will only begin production in 2010. The BYD electric car was selected as the key project for bilateral commercial cooperation by the Israeli government and the Ministry of Commerce of China.
The company’s choice to launch its two new-energy models in Israel appears to be a smart one, supported as it is by that country’s embrace of the electric car revolution and its plans, through Project Better Place and the aid of tax incentives, to build a nation-wide electric service network by 2011.
Taking a further step, BYD has also selected a Dutch dealer as its sole importer for the Netherlands, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary, where sales of BYD automobiles will start around 2010. The company is determined to pass European crash safety and emission standards by 2009.
At the beginning of this year, BYD Auto showcased its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology at the North American International Auto Show. Its F6DM, a 1,800kg vehicle, with a top speed of 160 km per hour, is Euro IV compliant, and emits only 70 gram CO2 per km. Wang Chuanfu said that he hoped to have DM technology on sale in the North American market in three to five years.
Leveraging its own technology and production capacity for rechargeable batteries, BYD is pursuing its green vehicle R&D at a very low cost.
The company announced in its interim report for 2008 that, in the first half year, revenues totaled RMB 3.8 billion, an increase of 71% compared to the same period last year. Car sales volume amounted to 72,357 units, a year-on-year increase of 94%. The company plans to double its sales, setting its target for 2008 at 200,000 units, and 400,000 units for 2009.
This year, BYD plans to invest RMB 5 billion in purchasing property, building factories and upgrading production capacity in China. It is also in the process of setting up two CKD (Completely Knock Down) factories, one in Russia and another Egypt.
The company is vying to push its low-cost vehicles into world markets, as the Japanese did in the 70s and 80s. While the West often condemns China’s high CO2 emissions, BYD’s launch of green vehicles should be catch attention.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1007603/BYD-s-cheap-green-cars-to-enter-developed-market.html
September 02, 2008
At a time when Western international car makers are exploring opportunities in emerging markets, a start-up China auto company, BYD Auto, is adopting a similar strategy to explore overseas markets as domestic demand is softening due to a slow-down in the home economy.
President Wang Chuanfu says BYD’s global strategy is to expand into Europe, the US, Russia, the Middle East and Latin America. BYD Auto is counting on its plug-in hybrid models, known as the Dual Mode (DM) series, to break into the European and US markets. Its F3DM, to be launched by the end of this year, is going to be the world’s cheapest hybrid automobile, starting at RMB 100, 000, around US $15,000.
Its fully electric E6 and plug-in hybrid electric F6DM will hit the market in Israel in 2009, well ahead of the appearance of GM’s Chevy Volt, which will only begin production in 2010. The BYD electric car was selected as the key project for bilateral commercial cooperation by the Israeli government and the Ministry of Commerce of China.
The company’s choice to launch its two new-energy models in Israel appears to be a smart one, supported as it is by that country’s embrace of the electric car revolution and its plans, through Project Better Place and the aid of tax incentives, to build a nation-wide electric service network by 2011.
Taking a further step, BYD has also selected a Dutch dealer as its sole importer for the Netherlands, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Hungary, where sales of BYD automobiles will start around 2010. The company is determined to pass European crash safety and emission standards by 2009.
At the beginning of this year, BYD Auto showcased its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology at the North American International Auto Show. Its F6DM, a 1,800kg vehicle, with a top speed of 160 km per hour, is Euro IV compliant, and emits only 70 gram CO2 per km. Wang Chuanfu said that he hoped to have DM technology on sale in the North American market in three to five years.
Leveraging its own technology and production capacity for rechargeable batteries, BYD is pursuing its green vehicle R&D at a very low cost.
The company announced in its interim report for 2008 that, in the first half year, revenues totaled RMB 3.8 billion, an increase of 71% compared to the same period last year. Car sales volume amounted to 72,357 units, a year-on-year increase of 94%. The company plans to double its sales, setting its target for 2008 at 200,000 units, and 400,000 units for 2009.
This year, BYD plans to invest RMB 5 billion in purchasing property, building factories and upgrading production capacity in China. It is also in the process of setting up two CKD (Completely Knock Down) factories, one in Russia and another Egypt.
The company is vying to push its low-cost vehicles into world markets, as the Japanese did in the 70s and 80s. While the West often condemns China’s high CO2 emissions, BYD’s launch of green vehicles should be catch attention.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1007603/BYD-s-cheap-green-cars-to-enter-developed-market.html
Portland Attempts to Woo Chinese Plug-in and Electric Car Maker BYD
September 12th, 2008
Political and business heavyweights are rolling out the green carpet in hopes of convincing a Chinese electric car manufacturer to set up shop in the Portland area.
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BYD (Build Your Dreams) is China’s largest battery maker, and moving into the automotive industry. BYD’s first plug-in hybrid planned for the Chinese market will be the F6DM mid-sized sedan in the second half of 2008, and use lithium iron phosphate batteries. Its top speed is expected to be be 100 mph, with a range of 62 miles in all-electric mode and 267 miles total after the gas engine kicks in. A fully electric version called the F6E is planned for 2009. The F6E will be a 5 seater sedan with a top speed of 100 mph, range of 186 miles per charge, and expected battery lifetime of 2,000 cycles, or 373,000 miles.
The company is following this up with the impressive F3DM, which will be smaller, less expensive (selling for around $14,000 in China), and the company claims will have up to a 100 mile range in electric-only mode. The F6DM styling is being compared to a Toyota Camry, while the F3DM (pictured above) is similar to a Corolla.
Currently BYD plans to sell the cars exclusively in China, expanding sales to Europe in 2-3 years. However, Portland is trying to entice the company to bring the cars to the United States.
Representatives from BYD Auto met with Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, Portland Mayor Tom Potter, Mayor-elect Sam Adams, and a host of other local dignitaries who are trying to persuade the Chinese carmaker to make Portland its distribution hub, its North American headquarters, or even its U.S. manufacturing base.
“It’s still more a dream than a goal,” says Rick Snyder, CEO of EcoMotion, an electric-car dealer on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. “At first blush, it seems like we’re a long way from Detroit. But we do have some manufacturing expertise – we should really jump on this opportunity.”
BYD representatives sound cautiously optimistic. While remaining noncommittal, Henry Li, general manager of BYD’s automobile sales division, told Sustainable Life that he was impressed by Portland’s green reputation.
“The top factor is a place that is environmentally friendly, where people have a green mind-set,” Li said. “That’s very important.”
BYD envisions eventually selling the F3DM and F6DM in the North American market. The cars would likely will sell in the US for $25,000 to $30,000.
The company’s immediate need is to find a location to test-drive its cars for the North American market. Beyond that, it soon will want to identify a point of entry where it can import cars made in China.
According to Jin Lan, a China business consultant based in Vancouver, Wash., BYD probably will want to eventually establish a manufacturing plant in North America, just as Japanese companies have done.
Li cautioned that the company’s plans were still in the early stages, but said he expects BYD to settle on a North American test market by the end of the year.
Source: Portland Tribune
http://gas2.org/2008/09/12/portland-attempts-to-woo-chinese-plug-in-and-electric-car-maker-byd/
September 12th, 2008
Political and business heavyweights are rolling out the green carpet in hopes of convincing a Chinese electric car manufacturer to set up shop in the Portland area.
BYD (Build Your Dreams) is China’s largest battery maker, and moving into the automotive industry. BYD’s first plug-in hybrid planned for the Chinese market will be the F6DM mid-sized sedan in the second half of 2008, and use lithium iron phosphate batteries. Its top speed is expected to be be 100 mph, with a range of 62 miles in all-electric mode and 267 miles total after the gas engine kicks in. A fully electric version called the F6E is planned for 2009. The F6E will be a 5 seater sedan with a top speed of 100 mph, range of 186 miles per charge, and expected battery lifetime of 2,000 cycles, or 373,000 miles.
The company is following this up with the impressive F3DM, which will be smaller, less expensive (selling for around $14,000 in China), and the company claims will have up to a 100 mile range in electric-only mode. The F6DM styling is being compared to a Toyota Camry, while the F3DM (pictured above) is similar to a Corolla.
Currently BYD plans to sell the cars exclusively in China, expanding sales to Europe in 2-3 years. However, Portland is trying to entice the company to bring the cars to the United States.
Representatives from BYD Auto met with Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith, Portland Mayor Tom Potter, Mayor-elect Sam Adams, and a host of other local dignitaries who are trying to persuade the Chinese carmaker to make Portland its distribution hub, its North American headquarters, or even its U.S. manufacturing base.
“It’s still more a dream than a goal,” says Rick Snyder, CEO of EcoMotion, an electric-car dealer on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. “At first blush, it seems like we’re a long way from Detroit. But we do have some manufacturing expertise – we should really jump on this opportunity.”
BYD representatives sound cautiously optimistic. While remaining noncommittal, Henry Li, general manager of BYD’s automobile sales division, told Sustainable Life that he was impressed by Portland’s green reputation.
“The top factor is a place that is environmentally friendly, where people have a green mind-set,” Li said. “That’s very important.”
BYD envisions eventually selling the F3DM and F6DM in the North American market. The cars would likely will sell in the US for $25,000 to $30,000.
The company’s immediate need is to find a location to test-drive its cars for the North American market. Beyond that, it soon will want to identify a point of entry where it can import cars made in China.
According to Jin Lan, a China business consultant based in Vancouver, Wash., BYD probably will want to eventually establish a manufacturing plant in North America, just as Japanese companies have done.
Li cautioned that the company’s plans were still in the early stages, but said he expects BYD to settle on a North American test market by the end of the year.
Source: Portland Tribune
http://gas2.org/2008/09/12/portland-attempts-to-woo-chinese-plug-in-and-electric-car-maker-byd/
BYD to launch all-electric car in H2, 2009
October 14, 2008
Shanghai, October 14 (Gasgoo.com) Chairman of BYD Auto Co said at the China Hi-Tech Fair yesterday that the company plans to launch its pure electric car by the second half of 2009, reported the Shanghai Securities News.
In a high-level CEO forum during the fair in Shenzhen city, southern China, Mr. Wang Chuanfu said the battery-powered all-electric car to come next year can run 400 km at one charge.
Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire, has expressed his wish to drive the car at first hand by the time of its launch, added Wang Chuanfu.
U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, announced in late September it would pay $230 million for a 10 percent stake in BYD to support the Chinese battery and auto company’s 'green' technologies.
Wang also confirmed that BYD is set to sell the F3DM hybrid in China by the end of this year. This F3DM hybrid combines hybrid and electric vehicle systems, with a 110km pure EV range. BYD said they can be recharged to 50% of capacity in just 10 minutes.
"Battery technology is our core expertise, and we think we are well-placed against GM and Toyota," said Chairman Wang Chuanfu at this year's Geneva show.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008022/BYD-to-launch-all-electric-car-in-H2-2009.html
October 14, 2008
Shanghai, October 14 (Gasgoo.com) Chairman of BYD Auto Co said at the China Hi-Tech Fair yesterday that the company plans to launch its pure electric car by the second half of 2009, reported the Shanghai Securities News.
In a high-level CEO forum during the fair in Shenzhen city, southern China, Mr. Wang Chuanfu said the battery-powered all-electric car to come next year can run 400 km at one charge.
Buffett, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire, has expressed his wish to drive the car at first hand by the time of its launch, added Wang Chuanfu.
U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc, announced in late September it would pay $230 million for a 10 percent stake in BYD to support the Chinese battery and auto company’s 'green' technologies.
Wang also confirmed that BYD is set to sell the F3DM hybrid in China by the end of this year. This F3DM hybrid combines hybrid and electric vehicle systems, with a 110km pure EV range. BYD said they can be recharged to 50% of capacity in just 10 minutes.
"Battery technology is our core expertise, and we think we are well-placed against GM and Toyota," said Chairman Wang Chuanfu at this year's Geneva show.
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008022/BYD-to-launch-all-electric-car-in-H2-2009.html
Governor lobbies to bring BYD hybrid car to Oregon
November 23, 2008
SHENZHEN, China -- In this far corner of China's manufacturing heartland, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's dream of making Oregon home to America's green car movement is about to roll off the assembly lines.
At BYD Auto Co., China's fast-growing automotive star, a plug-in electric hybrid sedan is just weeks from meeting millions of Chinese consumers. The F3DM, which runs up to 80 miles on a single charge and packs a 7-gallon tank, will probably launch in the United States by 2010.
Kulongoski, who clinched a deal last week to bring Nissan's pure-electric cars to Oregon, is vying for BYD's bid for a North American pilot site. On Friday, he met with BYD President and Chairman Wang Chuanfu at the company's mammoth headquarters nearly two hours from China's booming industrial zone.
"We're hoping to build a critical mass," Kulongoski said. "We're laying the infrastructure and hoping to bring change at home by reducing greenhouse gases. The most logical place to move toward is electric autos."
On a 10-day business trip in Asia, Kulongoski has trumpeted Oregon's status as the No. 1 hybrid market in the country and promoted an ambitious vision to automakers in Japan and China: electric charging stations every 60 miles along interstates. Tax incentives for Oregonians to buy electric cars. And tax bonuses for drivers to build car chargers in their garages.
If Oregon is successful in claiming a stake in the world's emerging electric car industry, ripples across many other sectors could provide a boost to the state's economy, hurt by the departure of Freightliner and other manufacturers.
Patrick Reiten, president of Pacific Power, said there will be growth -- and challenges -- in meeting the power supply needs that come with electric cars. Pacific Power is owned by Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, which in September bought a 10 percent stake in BYD for about $230 million -- a relationship Kulongoski hopes will help nudge BYD to Oregon.
Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Port of Portland, has met with BYD executives several times. The Port is a major gateway for Japanese and South Korean cars, with about 450,000 Toyotas, Hyundais and Hondas arriving last year. Wyatt said the Port has courted Chinese carmakers in preparation for the flood of Chinese autos expected to hit the U.S. in coming years.
"Eventually, one of these Chinese car manufacturers is going to begin large-scale exports to the United States," Wyatt said. "Whoever it is, we've gotten to know them at this point. When they do, we want to talk to them."
BYD, which could be the nation's first introduction to Chinese-made autos, plans to open five test market sites worldwide, including in Israel, Denmark and Hong Kong. Though company executives have yet to finalize any decisions, Portland and Los Angeles are at the top of the list.
"We have to look at the market to see how people will respond first," said Henry Li, general manager of BYD's auto export trade division. "We're a newcomer. So we have to have a new strategy."
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008484/Governor-lobbies-to-bring-BYD-hybrid-car-to-Oregon.html
November 23, 2008
SHENZHEN, China -- In this far corner of China's manufacturing heartland, Gov. Ted Kulongoski's dream of making Oregon home to America's green car movement is about to roll off the assembly lines.
At BYD Auto Co., China's fast-growing automotive star, a plug-in electric hybrid sedan is just weeks from meeting millions of Chinese consumers. The F3DM, which runs up to 80 miles on a single charge and packs a 7-gallon tank, will probably launch in the United States by 2010.
Kulongoski, who clinched a deal last week to bring Nissan's pure-electric cars to Oregon, is vying for BYD's bid for a North American pilot site. On Friday, he met with BYD President and Chairman Wang Chuanfu at the company's mammoth headquarters nearly two hours from China's booming industrial zone.
"We're hoping to build a critical mass," Kulongoski said. "We're laying the infrastructure and hoping to bring change at home by reducing greenhouse gases. The most logical place to move toward is electric autos."
On a 10-day business trip in Asia, Kulongoski has trumpeted Oregon's status as the No. 1 hybrid market in the country and promoted an ambitious vision to automakers in Japan and China: electric charging stations every 60 miles along interstates. Tax incentives for Oregonians to buy electric cars. And tax bonuses for drivers to build car chargers in their garages.
If Oregon is successful in claiming a stake in the world's emerging electric car industry, ripples across many other sectors could provide a boost to the state's economy, hurt by the departure of Freightliner and other manufacturers.
Patrick Reiten, president of Pacific Power, said there will be growth -- and challenges -- in meeting the power supply needs that come with electric cars. Pacific Power is owned by Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, which in September bought a 10 percent stake in BYD for about $230 million -- a relationship Kulongoski hopes will help nudge BYD to Oregon.
Bill Wyatt, executive director of the Port of Portland, has met with BYD executives several times. The Port is a major gateway for Japanese and South Korean cars, with about 450,000 Toyotas, Hyundais and Hondas arriving last year. Wyatt said the Port has courted Chinese carmakers in preparation for the flood of Chinese autos expected to hit the U.S. in coming years.
"Eventually, one of these Chinese car manufacturers is going to begin large-scale exports to the United States," Wyatt said. "Whoever it is, we've gotten to know them at this point. When they do, we want to talk to them."
BYD, which could be the nation's first introduction to Chinese-made autos, plans to open five test market sites worldwide, including in Israel, Denmark and Hong Kong. Though company executives have yet to finalize any decisions, Portland and Los Angeles are at the top of the list.
"We have to look at the market to see how people will respond first," said Henry Li, general manager of BYD's auto export trade division. "We're a newcomer. So we have to have a new strategy."
http://www.gasgoo.com/auto-news/1008484/Governor-lobbies-to-bring-BYD-hybrid-car-to-Oregon.html
Electric Revolution
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Cars leave me cold, but not the BYD F3DM. I drove it the other day, and it really is remarkable.
In one way, it is a rather ordinary compact saloon car, though it did have exceptional acceleration when I put my foot down zooming round the factory grounds in Shenzhen, the vast new Chinese city just north of Hong Kong.
This is a plug-in electric car, hence the acceleration, but when the electric battery runs out after 80 miles (128km), the petrol engine switches in seamlessly.
"Oh, just like one of those new eco-friendly hybrid cars," you may think.
But the makers argue that hybrids are more gas-guzzler than battery driven, whereas this model tries to be half and half.
And the makers? Well they are called BYD, a Chinese company which has been in existence for a bare 13 years, and which only recently started making any kind of car at all.
This new dual mode rechargeable car makes its launch appearance in China on 15 December, but BYD's Paul Lin let me have my test drive the other day.
And then when he showed me the company museum, he really set me thinking.
What is a business only 13 years old doing with a museum anyway?
Because the company has such enormous ambitions it wants to tell the world how far it has come and how much further it intends to go.
Rapid growth
Paul Lin showed me how BYD has evolved, starting with rechargeable batteries that soon became standard parts for one third of all the world's mobile phones, following the research speciality of the founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu.
And the modest battery making company grew and grew.
Wang Chuanfu soon saw that battery powered cars might be the future.
BYD knew a lot about batteries, and it was not daunted by the complexities of car-making either.
Six years ago, it bought two established Chinese car firms, and now BYD has seven huge plants with 130,000 employees.
The car I drove is made at the new headquarters factory - a giant one in Shenzhen, a city which was just a fishing town 30 years ago, with some 70,000 inhabitants.
Thanks to China's rush to modernise, Shenzhen is now part of the global manufacturing powerhouse in the Pearl River Delta, with an estimated population of 14m.
Wheel of modernisation
BYD's vast new factory did not exist 15 months ago, and they had to level several hills and fill in several lakes to create the site.
The workers mostly live in vast dormitories close by.
Like most of the Shenzhen workforce, they have migrated into the city from distant country places, moving from poverty in search of the fabled better life, spinning the great wheel of China's modernisation.
The size and scale of what BYD has already achieved is breathtaking, but that is nothing compared to its ambition.
This company has already made public its aim to be the number one car firm in China by the year 2015, and then - deep breath - number one in the whole world in 2025.
Despite my scepticism, Paul Lin had no doubt about this. The current fate of the American car industry suggests there may be room at the top some time before that date.
But to Paul Lin and the company he is part of, this ambition is entirely natural.
Car making is less difficult than high technology, they argue, and many of the techniques they have learned in high tech can now be applied to the automobile.
Remarkable endorsement
I put my foot down and revved almost silently across the factory campus in my (sample) new car, and wondered about the future.
As an exporter, China is going to be badly hit by the global recession, but already the best factories are evolving up the technology chain in much the same way as BYD has transformed itself from a supplier of other people's mobile phone batteries into a car maker with its own name on the front.
Critics say this is a copycat car, but that is how the Japanese auto industry started.
And in September there was a remarkable endorsement of BYD when even as global stock markets were plunging, the canniest American investor of them all, Warren Buffet of Omaha, Nebraska, paid $230m (£155m) for a 10% stake in the Chinese company.
Mr Buffett is a quite notorious investor for the long-term, not the quick buck, so he must recognise something in those initials BYD.
The company says they stand for "Build Your Dream", but they could mean absolutely anything.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7779261.stm
Saturday, 13 December 2008
Cars leave me cold, but not the BYD F3DM. I drove it the other day, and it really is remarkable.
In one way, it is a rather ordinary compact saloon car, though it did have exceptional acceleration when I put my foot down zooming round the factory grounds in Shenzhen, the vast new Chinese city just north of Hong Kong.
This is a plug-in electric car, hence the acceleration, but when the electric battery runs out after 80 miles (128km), the petrol engine switches in seamlessly.
"Oh, just like one of those new eco-friendly hybrid cars," you may think.
But the makers argue that hybrids are more gas-guzzler than battery driven, whereas this model tries to be half and half.
And the makers? Well they are called BYD, a Chinese company which has been in existence for a bare 13 years, and which only recently started making any kind of car at all.
This new dual mode rechargeable car makes its launch appearance in China on 15 December, but BYD's Paul Lin let me have my test drive the other day.
And then when he showed me the company museum, he really set me thinking.
What is a business only 13 years old doing with a museum anyway?
Because the company has such enormous ambitions it wants to tell the world how far it has come and how much further it intends to go.
Rapid growth
Paul Lin showed me how BYD has evolved, starting with rechargeable batteries that soon became standard parts for one third of all the world's mobile phones, following the research speciality of the founder and chairman Wang Chuanfu.
And the modest battery making company grew and grew.
Wang Chuanfu soon saw that battery powered cars might be the future.
BYD knew a lot about batteries, and it was not daunted by the complexities of car-making either.
Six years ago, it bought two established Chinese car firms, and now BYD has seven huge plants with 130,000 employees.
The car I drove is made at the new headquarters factory - a giant one in Shenzhen, a city which was just a fishing town 30 years ago, with some 70,000 inhabitants.
Thanks to China's rush to modernise, Shenzhen is now part of the global manufacturing powerhouse in the Pearl River Delta, with an estimated population of 14m.
Wheel of modernisation
BYD's vast new factory did not exist 15 months ago, and they had to level several hills and fill in several lakes to create the site.
The workers mostly live in vast dormitories close by.
Like most of the Shenzhen workforce, they have migrated into the city from distant country places, moving from poverty in search of the fabled better life, spinning the great wheel of China's modernisation.
The size and scale of what BYD has already achieved is breathtaking, but that is nothing compared to its ambition.
This company has already made public its aim to be the number one car firm in China by the year 2015, and then - deep breath - number one in the whole world in 2025.
Despite my scepticism, Paul Lin had no doubt about this. The current fate of the American car industry suggests there may be room at the top some time before that date.
But to Paul Lin and the company he is part of, this ambition is entirely natural.
Car making is less difficult than high technology, they argue, and many of the techniques they have learned in high tech can now be applied to the automobile.
Remarkable endorsement
I put my foot down and revved almost silently across the factory campus in my (sample) new car, and wondered about the future.
As an exporter, China is going to be badly hit by the global recession, but already the best factories are evolving up the technology chain in much the same way as BYD has transformed itself from a supplier of other people's mobile phone batteries into a car maker with its own name on the front.
Critics say this is a copycat car, but that is how the Japanese auto industry started.
And in September there was a remarkable endorsement of BYD when even as global stock markets were plunging, the canniest American investor of them all, Warren Buffet of Omaha, Nebraska, paid $230m (£155m) for a 10% stake in the Chinese company.
Mr Buffett is a quite notorious investor for the long-term, not the quick buck, so he must recognise something in those initials BYD.
The company says they stand for "Build Your Dream", but they could mean absolutely anything.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7779261.stm
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