2016
BYD E6
Earlier
this year, the Chinese electric car invasion quietly began with a pilot program
in Chicago, where Uber drivers were offered a chance to test out the BYD E6.
The 60 kWh battery pack provides up to 186 miles/300 km of driving range per
charge, but for 2016 the BYD E6 will get a bigger battery that will let it go
up to 250 miles/400 km between charge, reports Electric Vehicle News.
The
2016 BYD E6 will see its 60 kWh battery boosted to 82 kWh, increasing the curb
weight by about 100 kgs/220 lbs, but adding almost 70 additional miles of driving
range per charge. The automaker claims an energy density of 150 wH/kg, yet the US$ 48,350 price tag remains unchanged. That’s a pretty big move for the small
Chinese automaker, which received a major cash infusion from hedge fund legend
Warren Buffett and has recently had some success with fleet sales of the E6,
which debuted back in 2010. BYD also has its electric bus division, which has
won some hefty contracts with big cities.
But
are American consumers willing to take a chance with a Chinese electric car?
The market for electric vehicles remains quite small, and much larger,
deeper-pocketed automakers like GM and Nissan have come up short of their own
ambitious electrification goals. With BYD going all-in with electric and hybrid
cars, its fate may rest on whether or not American consumers will get on board
with a Chinese car, though it’s already building a battery factory that may
rival Elon Musk’s Gigafactory. In other words, BYD seems pretty confident.
At
over US$ 48,000, even with the Federal tax rebate, buyers are going to have
certain quality expectations.
