BYD Introduces All-Electric Bus and Signs Agreement with Hunan Province for 1000 K9 e-Buses

(Warren Buffett got on BYD e-bus K9)

CHANGSHA, PRC – September 30, 2010, BYD’s all-electric K9 e-bus was officially unveiled at a contract signing ceremony held in BYD’s Changsha Industrial Park. Warren Buffett and Bill Gates attended the ceremony with BYD’s Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu.

The K9 is the first pure-electric bus designed by BYD and produced independently at BYD’s Changsha-based Bus manufacturing site. This new e-Bus concept utilizes BYD’s unique environmentally-friendly, Fe battery system, in-wheel motors, and intelligent battery management systems. The battery storage elements and the large solar system on the top of the bus provides all of the power to the K9, making it emissions-free during its relatively smooth ride. The 12m long K9 has a silver body with tinted glass and is designed with three conveniently low-entry, passenger doors, making it easy for passengers to get on and off the bus. The K9 can reach speeds over 43 mph and can travel 190 miles on a single electric charge (without solar contribution). Using the BYD standard charging cabinet, the K9 can be fully charged in 6 hours with normal charger or it can be rapid-charged 50% on BYD’s proprietary rapid-chargers in an incredibly short 30 minutes.

BYD has become the fastest-growing Chinese auto brand. One of BYD’s sedan models – the F3, hit a record sales of 290,963 units in 2009 and became the best-selling model of the 2009 model year. It is also the only model that has beaten the monthly sales record of 30,000 units for six successive months. With the reputation of the F3, BYD’s B-segment model — the F6 and the mini-compact model — the F0, became widely popular when they entered the Chinese auto market.

During the K9 rollout ceremony, BYD also signed an important contract with the Hunan Government to provide 1,000 K9 e-Buses to Hunan public transportation. Government officials cited that, “This will greatly help decrease the air pollution in Hunan and be a model for clean public transportation for the whole country.” The K9 e-bus emissions “impact”, when charged exclusively from the grid, is estimated to be equivalent to over 30 gasoline vehicles running on China’s roads.

Chairman Wang stated “BYD’s dream is to help solve the World’s pollution problems and achieve the goal of reduced oil dependence—the K9 e-bus is a great asset for communities who are concerned about the environment, and when coupled with renewable power generation and energy storage, we achieve a complete ZERO-emissions-solution that we can create for our consumer and public transportation.”

BYD Auto Press

=> BYD Introduces All-Electric Bus and Signs Agreement with Hunan Province for 1000 K9 e-Buses.

Report: Mercedes-BYD to launch Chinese-market EV based on outgoing B-Class

Mercedes-Benz B-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a report from Autocar, company insiders at Mercedes-Benz have disclosed some potentially revealing information about the company’s electric car joint venture (JV) with China’s BYD Auto. The report suggests Mercedes will utilize a slightly modified version of the company’s outgoing B-Class front-wheel drive platform for the electric vehicle. Mercedes will take advantage of the flat-floor layout of its B-Class to house the electrified version’s lithium-ion battery pack in an underfloor position. Mercedes had initially designed the outgoing B-Class with electric intentions in mind and, as such, the platform should be well-suited for battery-powered motivation.

The zero-emissions hatchback will feature its own unique exterior styling and interior design but, unfortunately for us, it’s a Chinese-market only offering. We know Mercedes and BYD will eventually decide upon and announce a new brand for its range of electric vehicles produced under the JV, but marketing and selling this car is years away – or maybe more.

AutoblogGreen

=> Report: Mercedes-BYD to launch Chinese-market EV based on outgoing B-Class.

BYD and Daimler sign joint-venture agreement

The new company, called Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd will owned 50:50 by BYD and Daimler. The two companies will invest RMB 600 million (about 88 million USD) to form the new joint-venture, headquartered in Shenzhen, the same city as BYD.

Regardless of the success of this new JV, one can see how associating themselves with Mercedes-Benz’s parent company will certainly give BYD more credibility, or as the Chinese call it, “face.” BYD will not be producing cars for Daimler, but developing cars with them.

Hopefully this does not go down as the Daimler-Chrysler partnership. Excerpts from the press release below:

Mr. Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD Company Limited:

“Together with Daimler we are making excellent progress identifying opportunities to utilize the strengths of both companies to create a new brand of electric cars for China. This is a unique and exciting initiative and together we are pushing hard to bring this new electric vehicle to market as soon as possible.”

Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG:

“Our new joint venture is well positioned to make the most of the vast potential of electric mobility in China. We are fortunate to have excellent joint venture partners in China and the establishment of this research and technology center with BYD adds another dimension to our growing presence in this important market.”

China Car Times

=> BYD and Daimler sign joint-venture agreement.

Detroit 2010: BYD’s plans to bring the all-electric E6 to the U.S. slightly detailed

BYD E6 – Click above for high-res image gallery

The all-electric E6 took center stage at BYD‘s press conference today at the Detroit Auto Show. This is an ambitious car from an ambitious automaker, and that internal push means that the E6 is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. later this year. Plans for Europe will be announced later and U.S. pricing for the E6 might be released in late spring.

Over in China, the E6 electric vehicle has passed all crash tests, but that’s one hurdle that will need to be jumped here in the U.S. before it arrives. Another change – the switch to a J1772 connector – will be easy to accomplish, Fred Ni, the general manager of BYD Motors America, told AutoblogGreen. BYD executives are not disclosing the cost of the E6′s battery, but they are claiming it will last for ten years. The thing weighs 800 kilograms and packs around 60 kWh, which BYD says is good enough to move the car 205 miles on a single charge.

Ni said that BYD wants to be able to respond to market demand. Therefore, if the car is an American hit, BYD could build it in the U.S. someday. If BYD does build cars here, they would probably be both battery-powered and standard ICE powertrain models, he said.

As for the long-term ambition, BYD is looking to the top. While BYD has been around as a battery maker since 1995, the automotive division was established in 2003. The company is now the fourth-largest automaker in China, but that’s not enough. BYD’s goal is to be the biggest automaker in China by 2015 and, get this, the biggest in the world by 2025. For 2010, the company hopes to sell 800,000 units. How many of them will be E6s to Yankees? We’ll find out soon enough.

AutoblogGreen

via Detroit 2010: BYD’s plans to bring the all-electric E6 to the U.S. slightly detailed.

BYD lööb käed VW-ga?

Natuke enam kui kuu tagasi spekuleeriti selle üle, et kellega Euroopa tootjatest BYD käed lööb? Arvestades VW varasemat koostööd Hitachiga ei pidanud mina kooslust BYD-VW väga tõenäoliseks. Ometi selgus, et ma eksisin. WSJ andis täna teada, et VW ja BYD on sõlminud ühiste kavatsuste protokolli.

VW on selgelt hoidnud konservatiivset joont e-autode suhtes ning seetõttu on selline diil üsnagi üllatav. Samas tundub, et VW peab selle koostöö strateegiliseks suunaks pigem sõidukite pakkumist Hiina turule kui Euroopasse (vt Ulrich Hackenberg’i kommentaari viidatud artiklis). Eks aeg näitab, kas BYDi tehnoloogia osutub sakslaste jaoks piisavalt heaks, et seda ka Euroopas oma brändide all müüa.

Allikas: Wall Street Journal

Summary: VW announce the memorandum of  understanding with BYD.

BYD tarnib akusid ka teistele tootjatele

Hiina e-autode tootja BYD andis teada, et on alustanud kõnelusi oma akutehnoloogiate tarnimiseks kahele Euroopa autotootjale ja ühele Põhja-Ameerika tootjale.

Teade oli kaua oodatud, sest paljud kommentaatorid pakkusid välja, et varem või hiljem leiab BYDi edukas akutehnoloogia tee mõne senise autotootjani, sest oma brändiga on hiinlastel väga keeruline Lääne-Euroopa ja USA autoturule siseneda.

Kahjuks ei täpsusta uudis, milliste firmadega on tegu, kuid arvestades, et Peugeot/Citroen on seotud Mitsubishiga, Renault läbi Nissani samuti Jaapani tehnoloogiatega, VW-grupp on koostöös Hitachiga, siis jääb spekulatsioon õhku, et kas tegemist on mõne Saksa või Rootsi preemium brändiga või siis hetkel veel tundmatu ja väiksema kategooria tootjaga. Esialgu kalduks pigem toetama viimast stsenaariumit. 

Uudise allikas: Autobloggreen

Summary: Chinese battery giant and (PH)EV-maker BYD in talks to provide battery technology for two European and one North-American car company.

A New Space Race? Hiina vs USA

Alles sai president Obama teatada oma $2,4 mlrd e-autode stiimulite paketist, kui peaminister Wen Jiabao ja president Hu Jintao lõid lauale $2,2 mlrd Hiina e-autode arenduseks järgmise 3 aasta jooksul. Kas tegemist on uue “kosmose võidujooksu” algusega?

Osade vaatlejate arvates on üks suuremaid Hiina e-autode arendajaid BYD pea 2 aastat tehnoloogia arenduses Toyota’st ees. Lähiaastad näitavad, kas hiinlaste tehnoloogiline edumaa ja kahtlemata hea finantspositsioon suudavad tagada läbimurde tarbijaturgudel läänes.

Allikas: Telegraph.co.uk ja Gas 2.0

Summary: Chinese government responds to Obama’s EV and battery technology stimulus package with almost the same same amount of investment to EV-tech. A beginning of a new space race?

NAIAS 2009: BYD E6 – midagi peredele

Analüütikud on pakkunud diametraalselt erinevaid arvamusi selle kohta, kes võiks olla varajased elektriautode kasutajad. Mõned arvavad, et elektriautondus on rikaste pärusmaa ja seetõttu domineerivad turul alguses superkallid elektriautod nagu Tesla Roadster või Fisker Karma. Teised jälle väidavad, et ilmsesti algab elektriautode massikasutus hoopis miniautodest nagu Reva  ja Th!nk.

Mina ja ilmsesti paljud minusugused pereinimesed, kel on kodus lapsed ja kes tihti vajab pagasiruumi ka muuks kui vihmavarjude vedamiseks, hoiame põialt, et turule jõuaksid esimeses laines ka mõistliku hinnaga pereautod (laenates termini TopGeari lobasuudelt).  

Seetõttu on hea meel alustada hoopis ühe Hiina autotootja esitlusega Detroidi autoshow’lt. BYD E6 peaks jõudma Hiinas müüki 2009.a. ja Euroopas 2011.a. Euroopa lõpphind on esialgu küll teadmata, kuid vähemalt Hiinas tahetakse autot turustada alguses 22k USD (280k EEK) piires. See on ju peaaegu mõistlik pereauto hind.