The BYD (EV) Thread

BYD says new PHEVs will beat REx uprising with 124-mile EV range

Chinese giant's new wave of hybrids will have 60% greater capacity to run on electricity and charge at over 150kW

BYD is priming a range of new plug-in hybrids with some 200km (124 miles) of electric-only range and the ability to rapid-charge at speeds of more than 150kW.

Due within “the next one to two years”, this new generation of PHEVs from the Chinese giant (badged DM-i) will have substantially greater capacity to operate as EVs than their rivals.

At present, the longest electric range of any PHEV on the UK market is 88 miles, offered by the Volkswagen Golf eHybrid, while the best from BYD is 77 miles, offered by the Seal U – which can be charged at only 18kW.


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BYD kicks off Chinese EV discount derby

The world of electric cars in China just got a lot more nerve-wracking for automakers. BYD has decided to make its already affordable electric cars even cheaper, kicking off what many are calling another intense price war.

China is the biggest automotive market on the planet. Nearly half of all new cars sold in China are now either fully electric or plug-in hybrids. To put that in perspective, the United States is trailing far behind, with less than 10 percent of its new car sales being electric. How did China get so far ahead, so fast? A big part of the answer is simple: cheap electric vehicles.

BYD is making some serious cuts. The BYD Seagull (Dolphin Surf in Europe) hatchback, which was already affordable, costing less than €9,000, saw its price chopped by 20 percent. It now sells for RMB 55,800, which is about €7,010. The biggest discount, however, went to the BYD Seal dual-motor hybrid sedan. Its price was slashed by RMB 53,000, bringing it down to RMB 102,800 (approximately €12,870). In total, BYD announced discounts on 22 of its electric and plug-in hybrid models, valid until the end of June.

The pricing strategy didn't go unnoticed by investors, and BYD's own stock dropped by as much as 8 percent after the news broke. Other major Chinese EV players like Li Auto, Great Wall Motor, and Geely Automobile Holdings also saw their stock prices fall by more than 5 percent. Investors are clearly worried that this price war will squeeze profits across the board.

 
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