BYD preparing to sell F3DM plug-in hybrid in Hong Kong
2009 BYD F3DM - Click above for high-res image gallery
The BYD F3DM plug-in hybrid, made in China, might be headed south. The Environment Bureau of Hong Kong has purchased two BYD F3DM hybrid cars for testing purposes. The bureau will work together with the equivalent agency in Shenzhen, the nearby city where the car is built, to certify the use and the green credentials of the vehicle, preparing the car for sale in Hong Kong. BYD's reasoning is simple: a car validated by the Hong Kong agency will offer purchasers a more objective assesment of the car's real-life performances and will surely increase the vehicle's reputation. This is something BYD could use after the lackluster sales of the model in China. Hong Kong, for its part, will get cleaner cars that can be used in one of the most crowded cities in the world.
Gallery: 2009 BYD F3DM plug-in hybrid
Gallery: Detroit 2009: BYD F6DM and F3DM
[Source: Gasgoo]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jboy 6:25PM (6/15/2009)
Ok...n00b BYD question. We have heard the hype of these things for a while now (mostly from their CEO). Has anyone in the US or international automotive media actually test driven one of these things? If they are so good, maybe Penske/Saturn can import it.
Reply
downtoearth 8:01PM (6/15/2009)
I was tracking the BYD webpage for links to independent test drives, using Google Translate to understand Chinese (this was when I understood learning this language should be an option). I found a China daily article the other day too.
I won't be scanning for references this time, just share the conclusions from first test drives:
- all electic range proved to be 50km/30 miles, half of what the manufacturer promises
- after battery depletion, the heavy (1600 kilograms = 3 527 pounds) car proved fairly sluggish when driven by a tiny (1000cc) internal combustion engine powering the generator which in turn powered the electric traction motor
- some suggestions were encountered about poor quality of batteries
- after entering the market, sales proved very poor as the car itself costs twice as much as a gasoline equivalent BYD F3 and people in China don't go for such extensive pre-investment requirements (lack of cheap credit?)
- some government orders were planned (it was either in Shanghai or Shenzen, I don't recall the place)
After simple estimation I realized this sluggishness when in extended-range mode is fairly possible. Crusing requires little power so even a tiny engine should easily haul a heavy car and still be capable of putting some energy into the buffer (battery) for short bursts of acceleration when needed. But after accounting for ~70% ICE-generator-motor path efficiency, there is only 50kW*0,7=35kW=47HP left for F3DM propulsion. Fine for average or low speed crusing but there will be shortages of power when rapid acceleration or higher speed will be on demand.
So far, not so good then. This preliminary news made me realize that making a plug-in hybrid/extended range electric car that works everyday and works well is harder than I thought.
polo 3:32AM (6/16/2009)
Yes, some auto magazines in Europe tested them and they were posted in an earlier BYD thread here a while back. It might have been one of the first BYD articles posted here so you might be able to find it if you look for it in the comments.