BYD the real thing

http://www.4-traders.com/news/BYD-Announces-EV-Fleet-Results-at-Anniversary-of-Green-Taxi-Project--13612992/

Apparently the E6 has delivered on all claims for it including almost triple the range of the Leaf and fast charging with no degradation.

It is a nice sized car. I have alot of reliability concerns with Chinese vehicles but still like the rapid progress they have made.

Fantastic!
While I don't think I would purchase one, I love to see reports like this.
A little healthy competition will only help drive the EV industry to improve!

That is indeed very encouraging.

Wish that Nissan would have used last year to fleet test some LEAFs instead of the "come and drive the car for 5 minutes" events. Not sure how much one can learn on a 5 minute test drive around a closed parking lot with a minder.

If the price is right this would be the most interesting EV out of everything that's coming out here in the US.

LakeLeaf said:

Not sure how much one can learn on a 5 minute test drive around a closed parking lot with a minder.

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Actually, our two test drives is what kept us going through the "dark times" of the order process. It's what gave us inspiration to behave like laser guided bombs in seeking our delivery day.

How does the total range per total cost figure compare to the Leaf? That's what it will come down to for many. I didn't see anything indicating triple the Leaf's range in the link, just "over 160 miles" with no mention of at what speed.

63k miles using fast 20-30 minute charges is pretty impressive. Last I heard the E6 was estimated to cost $35k before tax credits are applied, so a bit more than the Leaf.. battery size ranges from 48 to 60kwh. Several motor options are talked about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BYD_e6

DeaneG said:

How does the total range per total cost figure compare to the Leaf? That's what it will come down to for many. I didn't see anything indicating triple the Leaf's range in the link, just "over 160 miles" with no mention of at what speed.

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A Leaf has a practical range of 60-70 miles, EPA says Nissan Leaf Range is 73 miles. If you prefer more than twice the range, it is fine with me. These are taxis so how could they quote a speed which varies so much in actual use.

Stock update for BYD:

Buffett-Backed BYD’s Mainland IPO Approved by Stock Regulator
2011-05-09 17:14:24.612 GMT


By Bloomberg News
May 10 (Bloomberg) -- BYD Co., the Chinese carmaker backed by Warren Buffett, won regulatory approval for an initial share sale on the Shenzhen exchange to fund its expansion in the world’s biggest vehicle market.
The China Securities Regulatory Commission approved the planned A share issue, according to a statement posted on the watchdog’s Web site yesterday. Hong Kong-listed BYD awaits written approval and will announce Shenzhen IPO details later, according to a Hong Kong stock exchange filing yesterday.
BYD plans to offer as many as 79 million Class A shares in Shenzhen, where the company is based, according to a statement filed to the Hong Kong stock exchange on May 5. BYD said it will use the proceeds to develop its auto and rechargeable-batteries businesses, and to expand into car products and accessories.
The carmaker raised HK$1.4 billion ($180 million) in an initial public offering in Hong Kong in July 2002 by selling shares at HK$10.95 each. The stock has since gained 157 percent, closing at HK$28.20 yesterday.
BYD’s vehicle sales fell for nine straight months through April amid rising competition from rivals General Motors Co., Volkswagen AG and Nissan Motor Co. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. holds a 10 percent stake in BYD.

Lived in China for nearly 4 years. Don't believe everything you read. It just has to look like it will work, but it may not function as it is suppose to. Unless they have an expatriate doing the Quality Control, I wouldn't trust it.

Didn't live in China, but I think it's known fact that China & Quality don't go together, unless of course it's driven by Apple :lol:

Like all contract manufacturers, Chinese manufacturers will cut the corners when pushed on price. When the manufacturer gets less than 10% of the sale price, we shouldn't expect great quality.

I agree with the reporter that the most significant thing about this is debunking the myth that 3c charging a LiFePO4 battery will quickly erode its capacity. The fact that they drove these cars exclusively on 3c charging and did not show any significant performance or capacity loss is fantastic. I think the Leaf pack will show the same resiliency even though it is not the exact same chemistry.

The most important finding in the e6 fleet testing was that there has been no noticeable energy drop - both driving range and battery performance has been stable in rapid-charging conditions over the 1.73M miles tested - a breakthrough in EV rapid-charging. BYD has been challenged by the media about its claims of long-range electric vehicles and superior battery longevity in rapid-charging regimes since launching its first dual-mode, electric and plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles in December 2008. With the results of the e6 fleet, which was continuously rapid charged in 20- 30 minutes, BYD now has a proven track record for its Iron-Phosphate battery technology. The data is there to show vehicle charging efficiencies, consumption efficiencies, and EV ranges over time-- all with rapid-charging regimes.

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BYD Begins Shipping Electric Buses

China's BYD Company (HKG:1211) has begun shipping its first long-range (>300/Km), electric buses for a 300 bus fleet that will serve the 2011 International Universiade Games held in Shenzhen, China.

After the Universiade Games, these 300 eBU-12's will be incorporated into Shenzhen’s city bus fleet--creating the largest electric bus fleet in the world.

The eBUS is the first pure electric bus designed and manufactured independently by BYD. At the core of the eBUS technology is BYD’s in-wheel motor drive system and the Iron Phosphate or “Fe” battery technology.

Because the drive system requires no axel, the eBUS floor can sit lower than any other bus, making it very rider-friendly. BYD says the Fe battery boasts the highest safety, longest service life and most environmentally friendly rechargeable chemistry. With these technologies, the BYD eBUS achieves a “loaded bus” city driving range of more than 150 miles (or 250 Km) and it only takes about half an hour to achieve a 50% state-of-charge using BYD’s fast charging system, the company said.

The eBUS also integrates BYD solar panels on the bus roof, converting solar energy to electricity which is stored in the Fe batteries and can completely offset the eBUS air-conditioning load (extending the range on sunny days).