Spy shots of upcoming BYD-Daimler EV revealed

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai February 5) - According to a statement made last year by Chairman of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Dieter Zetsche, progress on the new electric vehicle his company is developing alongside BYD is going smoothly, auto.sohu.com reported earlier this week. Daimler has been cooperating with BYD since 2010 to jointly develop a brand new EV, which will make its debut at this April's Beijing International Automotive Exhibition. The EV is scheduled to come to the market next year.

Patent pictures of the new model began appearing as early as last year. Meanwhile BYD has confirmed that the final design has already been decided on, and that they have already started conducting road tests. Spy shots of the vehicle (pictured), codenamed 'GOLF' (an acronym short for green, oxygen, light and friendship), have begun appearing, as well.

BYD and Daimler signed an agreement establishing the jointly-owned Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Company in late May 2010 with the aim of conducting research and development for electric vehicles. The vehicles developed by the company would use a brand new brand name instead of the BYD or Mercedes-Benz names. Daimler would contribute its expertise in safety technology, while BYD would make use of its advancements in engine and battery technology. Their first vehicle was speculated to be based on the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, but this rumor was never officially confirmed.

According to early reports, the GOLF would be powered by the same independently developed battery system used in the BYD E6, the ET-POWER system. Dr. Zetsche has even admitted that the lithium iron phosphate batteries BYD has developed are even more advanced than the ones Daimler currently uses.