BYD Auto Co. is another aspiring auto / EV-maker hoping to make a splash in the U.S. electric vehicle market during 2010. The interesting twist is that BYD (Build Your Dreams) is a Chinese company. Their plan to begin selling their electric e6 in California by the end of this year would make them the first company to sell Chinese-built vehicles in the U.S. Even more interesting is the fact that the company does not, as of yet, have an established network of dealers and, as of early January, they were still studying whether or not to enlist U.S. partners to help them sell the vehicles. Their initial strategy is to launch the e6 in a specific region and sell a few hundred units so maybe they can do this without a sophisticated sales network. The late 2010 timeframe is ambitious and sooner than what BYD had originally planned.
The company admits that the price of the battery used in the car is too high, but they are hoping that consumers will be drawn to the e6, regardless, as the economic situation improves or if gas prices begin to rise. The $40,000+ e6 is a five-passenger crossover-ish vehicle which BYD says is capable of traveling 200 miles or more on a single charge. The styling of the vehicle is decidedly bland, and there are concerns of others in the industry that the vehicle is not solidly designed (an unnamed auto exec was quoted as saying it was half-baked). The company also seems to have a bit of a shaky track record regarding the launch and availability of its plug-in hybrid, the F3DM.
So, the later part of 2010 will be really interesting, as we watch to see how many of the EV targets (the e6 included) really make it to market. It will be especially to check back in 2025 to see if BYD has indeed become the world’s largest automaker as it has announced it intends to be. Stranger things could happen…
