byd

China's BYD touts battery technology

GUANGZHOU, China--BYD is a small automaker here but a major producer of lithium ion batteries for cell phones.

The company wants to use its expertise in batteries to make practical plug-in hybrids.

At the Detroit auto show, BYD will show its F3DM plug-in hybrid, which is on sale in China in limited numbers.

BYD President Wang Chuanfu told Automotive News China that U.S. sales are possible in 2011, but he has not spelled out specific plans.

In September, BYD received a $232 million investment from American billionaire Warren Buffett.

BYD also plans to show another plug-in hybrid, the F6DM, … Read more

Made in China: A plug-in hybrid for the masses

BYD Auto's plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, the F3DM, is now on sale in China, the company announced this week at a press conference in Shenzhen, China.

The F3DM, which will retail for 149,800 yuan ($21,200), can travel 100 km (63 miles) on its battery before needing to be recharged, according to BYD Auto.

The car can be plugged in to any average Chinese 220-volt wall outlet to be recharged.

While there are other plug-in electric hybrid cars available for sale, BYD Auto's F3DM is the first one in China to be mass-produced and, therefore, widely available … Read more

Photos: Electric cars at the Geneva auto show

The Chevy Volt and the Tesla Roadster might be getting all the press in the States, but in Europe there are a few more contenders in the electric-car market. Check out our roundup of the, ahem, current crop of new electric cars at the 2008 Geneva auto show.

Click here for our coverage of the 2008 Geneva auto show.