BYD F3DM hybrid to make global debut in US

Shanghai, December 12 (Gasgoo.com) The BYD F3DM hybrid model is set to make its global debut at the Detroit auto show next month, and then will start its global sale, said the state media today.

Chinese automaker BYD Auto is preparing to export its F3DM (F3 Dual Mode) plug-in hybrid car to the United States by 2010. While Honda Motor, the pioneer of hybrid cars, has a cautious attitude toward plug-in electric cars, China's first electric vehicle model will go on sale worldwide soon.

The BYD F3DM electric car will be unveiled The 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 11-25, 2009. BYD Auto and Brilliance Auto are the only two Chinese automakers to date who have signed up for the 2009 Detroit show.

BYD is also a major manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. The all-new plug-in hybrid car model made by the company has undergone a series of testing by the U.S. market standards, and will start its global sale in the U.S. soon after the Detroit auto show.

The BYD F3DM hybrid car will compete with electric hybrid concept cars of Honda, Hyundai, Mitsubishi as well as the Chevrolet Volt of GM. The Chevrolet Volt will be launched as a 2011 plug-in hybrid model priced at $40,000 and is expected to sell in China and other Asian markets.