China BYD to sell plug-in hybrid in US by 2010

Chinese manufacturer BYD is planning to have plug-in hybrid vehicles on sale in the U.S. by 2010, with similar ambitions for the European market. If the name BYD sounds familiar then it may be because of its notorious reputation as a copyright infringer, however its latest strategy doesn't require originality to scare the likes of Toyota and GM.

The plan to sell Chinese-made plug-in hybrids in the U.S. market by 2010 is backed by a $230 million investment from the world's richest man, Warren Buffett, and should help it overcome any development hitches presented by tough U.S. safety laws. The investment came from a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, of which Buffett is the majority shareholder.

According to BYD's exports general manager, the company is " talking to some third-party consulting and engineering companies to get a thorough understanding of the safety standards" in the U.S., which will be integral in the vehicle's success into breaking into the U.S. market.

While its ambitions for the U.S. and European markets may be bold, BYD is still in the early stages of development - currently the company does not sell a hybrid in its home market of China. BYD has confirmed it is planning to market a hybrid sedan in China by the end of the year and will eventually step into the European market within the next two to three years.

The information comes from BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu, who told reporters from Automotive News China that the new hybrid sedan would be able to travel 110km on electric power alone. Chuanfu also predicts that sales of the car will top 500 units per month in China and will eventually reach 2,000 sales per month by next year.

While BYD has not yet confirmed which models will be getting the hybrid powertrain, the BYD F3 is the sedan most likely to be fitted with the carmaker's new hybrid drivetrain.