BYD exhibits hybrid cars F6DM, F3DM at Beijing auto show

BYD Auto Co of China exhibited its hybrid vehicles, the F6DM and the F3DM, at the ongoing Beijing auto show (Auto China 2008). The company plans to launch these cars in 2009.

Equipped with BYD's proprietary iron-based Li-ion rechargeable battery, the cars feature "plug-in hybrid vehicle" functionality, which allows them to be recharged from a household outlet.

The F6DM was on display at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, which was open in early 2008. At that time, BYD announced that the car was slated for launch in China in 2008.

The name "DM" refers to "Dual Mode," which indicates that the cars are capable of running on the electric motor as well as the gasoline engine, like Toyota Motor Corp's "Prius." But the structure of BYD's hybrid system is different from the system in Prius because the former uses a metal belt CVT.

The F6DM and the F3DM both have a 1.0L gasoline engine combined with a 50kW motor and a 20kW power generator. The cars are equipped with a 19.8kWh battery and are capable of running 100km on battery power alone, the company said. The battery is reportedly placed in the floor tunnel and the frame. It can be fully charged from a home outlet in nine hours.

According to BYD, the hybrid cars will initially be 50,000 yuan ($7,150) more expensive than the base model. But the company intends to reduce the difference between the prices to about 30,000 yuan by economies of scale.