BYD F3 DM on sale

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By the end of December 2008, BYD the famous maker of the F3, is launching its first mass produced electric car into the Chinese market, the BYD F3 DM priced at US$21,900. The BYD F3 Dual Mode is based on the original best seller BYD F3. Now that the long wait has finished, it is time to think about the future of this breakthrough car in an uncertain economic situation. It is not the first ever partially electrically propelled car launched in China, Changan with its Jiexun has made the first a few months ago. What makes the news is that the F3 DM (Dual mode) is made by the leader in cell phone battery manufacturing that has ventured into the automobile industry since 2003. BYD has made a successful entry into a tough industry and is taking advantage of today's green trend : all the economic factors will favor its knowledge in electric engineering.

F3 DM is facing challenges

Despite being described as a not so credible competitor by its Japanese rival Honda, BYD will fiercely fight to gain marketshare. In its "5 things you should know about the F3 DM", the author on her 4th point noted that in China the infrastructure is not suited for battery recharge at home, the reason is in a densely populated country, people live in 20 storey flat in general, you do easily imagine how hard it is, if you lived on the 2nd floor to plug your car !
Because the type of hybrid is quite new (Plug-in type, while the Prius is not of a plug-in type), we don't know yet the behavior in the long run of the BYD F3 DM. However, BYD will try to sell its new baby as soon as 2010 in the US, making an international debut. Its potential rival, the Chevy Volt is delayed, but one hope it is not delayed for too long :

A big part of what made the Volt notable is that it is ahead of the curve. If it becomes just another plug-in hybrid, the benefits to GM will be much smaller

The Chevrolet Volt is priced at US$40,000 twice as much as the BY F3DM.

Main specification of the BYD F3 DM

The F3DM has a range of 100 km (62 miles) on battery power alone with a top speed of 160 kph (99 mph). The 330V, 40 Ah Li-ion pack has life of more than 2,000 cycles, according to BYD Auto. On a household 220V power supply, a full recharge takes 8 to 9 hours. The DM powertrain incorporates BYD’s own 50 kW 3-cylinder, 1.0-liter BYD371QA aluminum engine, and has a combined maximum output of 125 kW.