Chinese auto-maker BYD in collaboration with the famous US investor Warren Buffett, has officially released its first all-electric car that will be available to private buyers.
Launched last week in the southern town of Shenzhen, the “BYD e6” electric car will have a price of around 300,000 yuan (about $46,800).
The vehicle’s 75 kW motor gives it a range of nearly 300 km on a single charge in urban conditions. BYD also said on its website that the BYD e6 is equipped with an iron battery that can be fully recharged in about 40 minutes.
The electric car is capable of reaching a top speed of 140 km/h. Unlike ordinary oil-consuming vehicles, the e6 can save its owner about 75 percent of the energy cost.
BYD Auto was founded in 2003, being a part of the rechargeable battery maker,the BYD Co Ltd. Some reports said that in 2010 the sales were estimated at 519,800 units and the production capacity at 700,000 units. In December 2008, Warren Buffet has allocated $230 million to buy a 10 percent stake in BYD.
So the Chinese CAN build a car that’s about the price of a Nissan Leaf and the range of a Tesla Model S. Then why don’t the others follow? Is it some kind of a strategy for we aren’t yet prepared to get in electric cars? Or what?
[via The Economic Times]
Why? Because the reality is, it is AFFORDABLE to make a long range electric vehicle. Esp. if it doesn’t have the frills of Tesla. An EV has simpler engineering requirements than a normal ICE vehicle, and all the current engineering is readily available. Ergo, it is CHEAPER, even if you factor in the battery costs.
Use existing manufacturing lines (bodies, et al) and remove the non essentials will arrive at a budget electric car.
Tesla has to pay for all the manufacturing from scratch. The other car companies are probably not using existing car model’s manufacturing lines except for perhaps some components for fear of making them look the same.Impute large corporate business costs and business margine and you have a less affordable EV. DIY’ers can easily achieve those costs by simple conversion and spend money on LIFEPO4’s (battery).