BYD Hybrids

BYD hybrids include the first PHEV in 2008. It was the F3DM, an LiFePO4 powered hybrid installed in the popular BYD F3. The F3DM has recently been redesigned and renamed the BYD Qin.

The name "Qin" equates to the name of the first Chinese Dynasty. The LiFePo4 battery pack has been downsized from 16 to 10 kWh, which is still a respectable size. BYD claims 4,000 charge cycles at 80% performance at the end. That's 11 years at 1 charge cycle per day. The pack is clean and green with no toxics.

The Qin can travel about 30 miles on pack power alone. The gas engine powering the car and the pack is a 1.5 Liter, 166 HP Turbo charged plant. Combined ICE/Electric power is 315 HP. Performance is listed at 115 mph top end, and
0-60 mph in 6.9 seconds. The car tips the scales at about 3,300 pounds kerb weight.

The redesign of the F3DM seriously upgraded the interior of the car. LCD displays are up front. The latest networking systems are installed such as wireless internet connectivity, cloud computing, voice control and driver fatigue sensing.

In addition the Qin hosts a robit that resembles the marshmallow man in Ghost Busters. The plastic dude goes by the buzzword i Robot. The robot communicates with the driver regarding driving conditions and the like.

BYD-Mercedes Hybrid

To decrease pollution, the Chinese Government has had a goal of some 500,000 BEVs on the road by 2015, and 5 million by 2020. Clearly that is not happening.Pure BEV, Battery Electric Vehicles have not done well in the Chinese market. Only 8,159 were sold nationwide in 2011.

BYD and Daimler Benz have teamed up to produce a new PHEV called the Denza in an attempt to decrease pollution in the worlds largest car market.

The Denza concept features rear door access, suicide doors they used to be called on the old Lincoln Continentals. The car is referred to as an NEV. That is New Energy Vehicle - not Neighborhood Electric Vehicle.
The car is in prototype testing.