http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/byd.wangchuanfu/index.html

The interview got the test drive of BYD e6 - pure electric car from BYD

No one would spend $20,000.00 knowing the BYD electric vehicle takes two days to recharge the batteries.

No one would spend $20,000.00 knowing the BYD electric vehicle takes two days to recharge the batteries.
This is equivalent to the $40,000 Volt. Buy two BYDs and use them on alternate days, driving one while the other is charging. ;)

Very good interview. Big 3, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Very good interview. Big 3, be afraid. Be very afraid.

Big 3 ??? By the end of May, there might be big 1 left...Ford Motor Corp..

No one would spend $20,000.00 knowing the BYD electric vehicle takes two days to recharge the batteries.

What? It said 7 hours to fully charge. And the all electric one they have going into production around the same time as the Volt charges 80% in 15 minutes, which would give you a range of about 150 miles.

"According to his presentation at the conference, the e6 car needs nine hours to fully charge its lithium-ion batteries, although they could be charged to their 80% capacity in 15 minutes."

http://www.fuelpub.com/web/online/Industry-News/Chinas-BYD-Auto-Co-to-Unveil-All-Electric-Car/1$1085

Granted its a Chinese company and all, so it's easy to write off for now, but like Wang said, the China home market is about as good as anyone could ever ask for to be able to get a company like this started and develop the capital needed for breakthroughs. I think there really is something to be said for having an actual engineer running the company. We need people who are product oriented running our auto mkers, not share holder and finance oriented.

What? It said 7 hours to fully charge. And the all electric one they have going into production around the same time as the Volt charges 80% in 15 minutes, which would give you a range of about 150 miles.



Third video clip at 1:57 mark: "you can charge at home, it takes 2 days on normal household power point"

The whole 2 day charge thing is sort of a red herring; the car has a range per charge or 400 km or 248 miles. Assuming you could go 60 mph you'd be 4 hours behind the wheel before it's all over. Most people, if we are to believe GM, will drive 40 miles in a day which is 16% of 248. So, it should take 16% of 48 hours on a standard wall outlet to recharge the system, that's 7.7 hours.

I think China has 220V mains so an American-based BYD car would need a clothes dryer circuit to meet the spec.

Looked at another way, if you drove 40 miles per day commuting and didn't bother to plug in at night, after 5 days you'd only have gone 200 miles. Then plug it in for the weekend and break out the Hummer :)

Mulally better start eating lunch at the Dearborn cafeteria.

Third video clip at 1:57 mark: "you can charge at home, it takes 2 days on normal household power point"

Oh, ok, I see, I didn't watch that one.

I was watching this one about the F3DM.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/byd.wangchuanfu/index.html

At 4:52, refering to the F3DM, it says "Every time you charge it can last for more than 100km, and the charging process takes about 7 hours."

Basically this E6 prototype takes about as long as the Tesla to charge right now, but it's true, if you charge it every night, you would probably be keeping it full all the time.

Obviously, the article I posted that says you charge it in about the 80% charge in 15 minutes is not for a standard home outlet. But quick charge, long lasting batteries are really about the only thing EVs need to gain mainstream acceptance even if it does require a quick charge station. Any gas station would be able to install one for fairly minimal I would imagine.

Oh, ok, I see, I didn't watch that one.

I was watching this one.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/20/byd.wangchuanfu/index.html

At 4:52, it says "Every time you charge it can last for more than 100km, and the charging process takes about 7 hours."



It looks like there is a little confusion here.

BYD has two electric models...one is dual mode like Volt, the other is pure battery electric vehicle like the Tesla.

Please note the vehicle you are referencing in the video is not a pure electric vehicle, it is the dual mode vehicle which takes 7 hours to charge.

Good point, I'll go back and edit and make clearer references.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that the fact that it takes 2 days is not a battery limitation but just a limitation of the the amperage an average household outlet is capable of delivering. That's something we will have to deal with long range EVs, period. That's something Tesla has already somewhat dealt with, but the fact that with the right equipment, you can charge these batteries up to 80% in 15 minutes is extremely noteworthy, assuming it's true, and assuming the batteries can last the 2,000 cycles they say they can (which would last 10 years as long as the person wasn't driving the thing top to bottom.

What's interesting is that in this recent article, it says the F3DM is too expensive for China with it's $22,000 USD price tag, and they are soon lowering that price to $16,000.

http://www.zoomilife.com/2009/04/15/chinese-byd-f3dm-not-selling-well-in-china/

And this one talks more about the specs of the E6.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/byd-electric-car-e6-crossover-mpv.php


BYD E6 Electric Vehicle Specifications
So far, all we know is that the E6 will be a 5 seater with an acceleration of 0 to 100 kph of around 10 seconds. Top speed should be top speed of 160 kph (100 mph), and the battery pack, which is located under the rear passenger seats, will be based on BYD's own lithium-ion iron phosphate technology. Range per charge is expected to be 300 km (186 miles).

But most impressive of all:

"BYD projected the battery had a life of 2,000 cycles, for a lifetime range of about 600,000 km (373,000 miles)"

Charging of the battery will take the night with 220V, but the E6 electric car can also take a fast charge that can bring the battery to 80% SOC in about 15 minutes.

The limit is not in the battery technology. The time it takes to charge depends on how big the battery is and the power output of the wall socket. If you are using a tiny standard wall socket then it's going to take a very long time to charge a car that can go hundreds of km.

And in any case it only needs to recharge worth the 40 miles or so you usually drive in a day. That should not take even all night.

The problem is if you need to make a long drive, stay the night and need to drive back the next day. Then you better take your E-REV instead of your BEV. But we all knew that, since that's why we are interested in the Volt.

And in any case it only needs to recharge worth the 40 miles or so you usually drive in a day. That should not take even all night.

The problem is if you need to make a long drive, stay the night and need to drive back the next day. Then you better take your E-REV instead of your BEV. But we all knew that, since that's why we are interested in the Volt.The E6 is short range now, but when the 480V quick chargers get installed, it is ready for them. That is the key. You are correct that we want the Volt in the mean time.

And in any case it only needs to recharge worth the 40 miles or so you usually drive in a day. That should not take even all night.


Right, that's what I was thinking. You charge it fully over the weekend and then each night during the week you only have to charge it for the amount used that day.

If this is your second car for commuting only, it would be very doable, IMO. Even for someone like me who has a 68 mile commute and could easily do 100 + on a busy day.

For $20k.