BYD builds EV battery production base in Huizhou

Shanghai, August 20 (Gasgoo.com) China's battery and electric car maker BYD Co. said that it has built an electric vehicle battery production base in Huizhou, a city of southern China's Guangdong province, xinhuanet.com reported today.

This 5-billion-yuan ($732 mln) facility, located in the BYD Huizhou Industrial Park, is one of the nine manufacturing bases that BYD plans to build across China for making cell-phone components, rechargeable batteries and auto parts.

BYD's Huizhou battery plant will focus on producing the company's ferrous batteries as its core technology for electric vehicles. The facility is ready for operation and will play a key role in boosting the mass production of the BYD electric cars.

Earlier this month, BYD Co. reached an agreement with Shanghai-based SAIC Motor to supply the Chinese auto giant with lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicle production.

In May, Volkswagen formed a partnership with BYD Co. to jointly develop hybrid and electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries.

BYD said it was bullish about sales of its F3DM plug-in hybrid car, after China's industry regulators recommended the energy-efficient model as eligible for government subsidies.