BYD are going for gold, selling batteries to SAIC and selling cars in the USA

---

BYD are in for a roller coaster few years with them planning to sell batteries to the Chinese rivals, SAIC, and also selling cars in the USA very soon.

SAIC and BYD recently signed a contract that will see BYD supply SAIC with lithium-ion batteries that will be used in the Roewe 750 hybrid concept that was shown at the 2006 Beijing Auto Show but has not yet been put into production but is expected to be formally released in early 2010 according to CCT sources. BYD also plans to supply the Shanghai World Expo 2010 with over a 1000 green vehicles which will include hybrids, pure electric and hydrogen powered cars.

In other news it was revealed that BYD are planning to enter the US market as early as next year with a $40,000USD car:

From The Wall Street Journal:

XIAN, China — BYD Co., the Chinese auto maker part-owned by Warren Buffett’s company, is finalizing plans for an all-electric battery car that would be sold in the U.S. next year, ahead of the original schedule, Chairman Wang Chuanfu said.

In an interview at a BYD factory here, Mr. Wang said the company aims to use money from a planned new-share sale in China to help pay for the U.S. push, as well as for a second production line for automotive lithium-ion batteries near BYD’s Shenzhen headquarters.

It seems that BYD are about ready to beat GM to launching the first mass made cheap electric vehicle in the USA, after all the Chevrolet Volt is going to be a 2011 model for GM which means it isnt likely to be launched until mid 2010 which is likely to be after the BYD E6 is already launched in the USA. Although the Volt is set to produce 10,000 units in the first year, where as the BYD E6 is only going to e in the low hundreds to raise BYD’s brand profile.