Detroit 2008: BYD exposes the F6-DM plug-in hybrid
Down in the basement of Cobo Hall is where the Chinese automakers are grouped together. If you're going to be going to the show in the coming days, I recommend making your way downstairs to see the cut-in-half BYD F6-DM hybrid. I have never seen a more detailed (consumer-level) explanation of how a plug-in hybrid works on a display stand. Thanks to a series of lights and lots of descriptive panels, you can watch the "electricity" flow from an outlet into the car and then to the powertrain. You can get an idea of this in the photo gallery below or you can click past the jump for a video of the lights in action (video
As for what the BYD F6-DM is: F6 is the BYD name for this four-door, five-seat sedan and DM stands for Dual Mode, which here means a combination of pure electric and hybrid electric driving systems. BYD (Build Your Dreams) says that the DM system "will take place [sic] of the electric-gasoline hybrid system, and become the most popular new energy vehicle system in the world." There are a lot of ambitions in the Cobo basement.
The cutaway model features two outlets, one for a standard household power cord and one for a high-power quick charge system to charge up the ferrous battery (developed by BYD). Using quick-charge, the battery will be filled half ways in 10 minutes. Standard charging takes nine hours. BYD told the AP that, using just electrons, the F6-DM can go 60 miles (250 on a full charge and a full tank). The car should be out in China later this year at a price of between $20,000 and $30,000 and might come to North America after 2010. The hybrid system adds around $6,000 to the cost of the standard F6. A video demonstration is available after the jump.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MrLapin 7:13PM (1/23/2009)
Encouraging! Maybe a little humiliation from a Chinese automaker will get Toyota off their duffs. I wouldn't bet on it though.
I'm no fan of Chinese anything, but I'd consider this car. Only problem is, omigawd, it's HUGE. Did you see the spec sheet? It weighs 1800kg. That's almost as much as a Ford Explorer SUV.
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Dave B 7:36PM (1/15/2008)
Holy crap that's an impressive car if the cost and specs are accurate. Why aren't they partnering with a smaller US company to market this puppy? Assuming it can pass safey tests, lookout EVERYONE.
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Alan 1:36PM (8/06/2008)
http://jalopnik.com/344806/detroit-auto-show-world-exclusive-surreal-illegal-test-drive-of-chinese-hybrid-through-cobo-arena