BYD to further cater to market demands next year

BYD Company Ltd. said at the 8th China International Automobile Exhibition Monday that for the upcoming year, it will add wider focus to sports-utility vehicles (SUV) and electric cars to further cater to market demands.

Zhang Xuan, public relations manager of BYD's A4 network, said in an interview with the Global Times that the company predicts that China's auto industry will continue to increase 15 or 20 percent yearly, according to which BYD has set its development objectives for 2011.

As SUVs occupy one of the hottest auto markets, the Chinese, BYD will give priority to expanding in it, Zhang added.

Meanwhile, the company also plans to make breakthroughs in the new energy car field, in which BYD has more advantages than other domestic automakers.

According to Zhang, BYD's new energy vehicles are primarily divided into three categories: L3, hybrids car; E6, pure-electric and K9, electric buses.

L3 has been sold in Shenzhen since the first quarter of 2010, and sales volume in the fourth quarter went from a few dozens to hundreds. And the company plans to sell the model also in other areas of the country in 2011 in response to customers' requests.

Shenzhen now possesses 55 units of E6 in its taxi freight, the mileage of which are of 1.5 kilometers in total. Upgrades on the model approximate as positive feedbacks flow in.

In addition, it has signed a deal with Changsha government to purchase K9, model rolled off line at the end of September.

As to the company's electric models taking a portion of overseas markets, Zhang told the Global Times that it is difficult to make consolidations in European and American countries, since the markets in these continents show more maturity.

BYD had sold 500,000 units by December this year, up 25 percent from 2009, and the company plans to realize an increase of 15-20 percent in 2011.