GM is Weeping: BYD F3DM Plug-in Hybrid Goes On Sale in China, 3 Years Before Volt

Wow, now that's affordable. If it's even half decent, it could sell like hotcakes, especially as soon as this recession is over and gas prices shoot back up.

I had a feeling China would get into the car game (in the US) sooner or later. if the big 3 automakers think they are having a hard time now what until boatloads of these start arriving. Nice post - I'll probably include a link to you from my own site tonight.

I'm guessing it won't seem quite so affordable when the batteries fail in three years and replacements can't be bought.

At this price, you are buying a battery pack and they're throwing in a car for free.

"At this price, you are buying a battery pack and they're throwing in a car for free."

It's hard to know exactly what their cost structure is. The car might be more expensive when sold in the US... But they could also be selling it at no profit for a while to get market share.

Either way, if it works well, it's a plus for everybody. I doubt BYD doesn't know how to make good batteries.. The problem is the car.

And imagine just a few years ago this company just made batteries...If Gm showed this kind of resourcefulness and innovation they wouldn't have had to go begging to Congress for a handout.

Wow this is bad news for the big 3. Costs half as much as a volt, and goes 50% farther on battery. There is some truth about the batteries only lasting 3 years. The problem is charging the battery will result in some high utility bills. Its only worth it if gas prices go up to $4 / gallon again. Wait til hydrogen becomes mainstream, as that is the fuel of the future, not batteries.

"There is some truth about the batteries only lasting 3 years. "

Please cite your sources.

The batteries are rated for at least 2,000 cycles, and they'll probably last longer than that (possibly with some loss of range at the end, but you still have the range-extender).

Unless you drive more than 62 miles per day, every day, 7 days a week... But even then, that would be more than 3 years.

I think if they ever came here Toyota would sue them for copyright infringement on the front end (this is without a doubt a copy of the last-gen corolla) and there would be a whole debacle (heaven forbid) resulting in their banishment from the US- just like BMW sued chinese company Shanghuan when they made a blatant X5 knock-off that was sold in Germany.

"copyright infringement on the front end"

I don't think you can actually copyright a car's front end, though I'm not certain. Anyone knows for sure?

Toyota is selling car in china. I believe if they going sue them they would do it by now. I haven't heard anything yet. Why sue them in America when BYD main market is in china. This company have a habit of copying other people design but they are a young company. Most young company do copy other people design. GM used to copy other people design in their early beginning.. The japanese was known to copy people design during the 60s and 70s.

I have every confidence in the battery system. Has anyone here even used LiPo or LiOn batteries lately?! They have insane power delivery, and last ages in my model plane applications.

As for the car, if it comes to Australia before GM release a decent car (Prius are too toy looking), then I'll have one.

Good luck with "Toyota suing them", all cars copy each other...Mazda 6 looks like a Ford, Toyota Lexan looks like a Commodore..... and they all have headlights and wheels, stolen tech from someone no doubt.

will be interesting to see if this car takes off in china. a car purchase is often about a status symbol as much as anything else. it's cheaper to take taxis everywhere, but people want to be seen in their cars. don't know if a new hybrid brand will really be attractive to people.

and the second issue is the quality. especially have to think about that when talking about a brand new car company.

but i have always said that china should be cornering the market on green energy, and it seems that they have finally figured that out. even if this car is not a success, it's a move in the right direction.

Hi,
The chinese have better batteries than we do. All of the batteries are made in china. The hybrids now don't need battery replacement, as not so many go bad-just a few cells. They just need to be recalibrated. That's what honda and Toyota do. If a individual cell does go bad, they take it out and have it replaced. Battery replacement is just a GM scare tactic, trust me. They even tried to say hhybrids are polluting more waterways. (That's if you take the batteries and throw them in a river.) Anything to keep making a refrigerator with wheels.

This is a company that is drawing a workforce from a population of over a billion people. I am guessing that they managed to pick the brightest and the best. Like this article says, they are a battery company that started making cars.

If I recall correctly, it was BYD that went to Europe, failed terribly in safety, spent a year at the drawing boards and fixed their ailments over a single year.

I have faith that we will see this car on American roads before we see anything of material out of GM.

The heading is based on the assumption that GM actually produces and sells the Volt. Their track record doesn't give us too much hope for the Volt going on sale, except in "select markets" (maybe).

Since the cost of batteries is possibly the greatest challenge to building electric cars, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a Chinese battery maker could beat everyone else to the market, but expect quality to be on par with Yugo or any Chinese built appliance or power tool.

Would this not also beat the plug-in Prius to market?

Wow, it sure is amazing what you can exploit out of an endless supply of expendable labour.

A battery company making an electric car. What a concept! GM had a chance to purchase the battery company that made the battery for the original EV1 which GM later killed. When GM developed the EV1, one of the original concept they looked at was today's Chevy Volt concept. With all their engineering might and management "smarts", why couldn't GM think, plan, and act with a minmum level of intellectual integrity at the top level?

I will buy one. I was hoping china would come through for me on the electric car. I knew our own auto makers would not build one because they cannot sell you tune ups, parts, service, etc. These electric cars are very simple in design and have very few things to break. If china sells them here it will force our auto makers to get on board with the electric car or step out of the way for those who will. As long as no one built one they could monopolize the internal combustion engine and keep selling them to you, because you would have no alternative to purchase. I have decided that I will drive the wheels off the cars I have and wait out the electric car. Hybrids have the same parts the old cars had to wear out in addition to the electric system. They also do not run on electric over 45 mph. My next car purchase, No plug, No deal.

Nice looking car that doesn't look stupid, or more importantly, make you look stupid when you are driving it.

I just hope it lasts longer than a lot of Made in China things i have bought.

I like this car.

If i had money for a plug in car. I would buy it. I am not brand sensetive like alot people.

Chinese factory's etc can addapt very very fast.
and BYD has 100 000 employees.
And they produce battery's for alot much american devices. Also european devices.
Want to bet there isnt an A123 or any other american lithium battery in portable devices. ( maybe the most expensive ones.. but they are good quality to )

And about quality..
In the 60's and 70's japanese cars had less quality then american cars. But look now... Japanese cars are superiour to american cars.( probably also to european cars ) And i live in europe. But if you ask someone the question: Would you like to buy an american car? They would certainly say no..

Here toyota has built up his name as: Reliable for many many years.
And american cars are in mind as: Bad steering. low quality enteriour and bad gas milage.
About chinese: Bad quality, cheap. ( will change soon hope american cars change to if there is still time with there bailout )

They did say yes years ago.. Because of the muscle cars etc. But the american cars these days are so oldfasioned. They don't get allong with time.
Shame :(.. would be great to see very advanced cars or electric cars from america.

About china and replication... it's sad. I know.
But they will learn in time. Just like we all did.

Ok you can be concerned about safety. But let us not just insult them. Just trow them to a test and they will change there cars very fast into safe cars.
They are quik learners believe me :)

Certainly makes it tough for the Volt to compete, but with UAW workers earnng $135 per hour, how can GM compete with the Chinese in any way shape or form? And those Dems promised that
a bailout would save the companies. Sure it will. Sure it will.

This is great,

finally the nay sayers get to pay the price.

Anyone know where are the batteries housed.?
I note they show no photos of the boot open so wonder if that is where they are, leaving no room for the golf clubs!
Now that would be a major problem.

Can BYD make a go of it?
Sure probably in time...But right now it's going to take some doing to get BYD's cell phone battery technology to mesh with some of its brand new automobile technology.
So far these EV models are all unproven, untestested, unsubstatiated. And as for BYD's quality on the automobile side,......well let's say until recently it really left something to be desired.