BYD Triples Size Of California Bus Factory

BYD held the Grand Opening of Phase 3 of its Lancaster Bus and Coach Factory expansion on October 6th, 2017, with numerous company officials, dignitaries, and employees on hand to celebrate. CleanTechnica joined in the fun as well.

The event was held at BYD’s Lancaster Factory in one of the newly added sections of the factory. The increase in capacity added around 300,000 square feet to the factory, bringing it up to 450,000 square feet in total. BYD has only owned the facility for 4 years and has continually increased the number of employees and the size of the location in that time, including an addition that was only finalized in March of this year to accommodate assembling electric trucks.

Compared to the tour of the facility I went on in 2015, the new facility is more than 3 times the size. The new location increases BYD’s electric bus production capacity to 1,500 buses per year. It has increased its headcount up to 713 employees with plans to add 500 more in the coming 18 months. BYD’s plans for the facility are not new and the actions we are seeing merely keep pace with the extremely aggressive plan BYD had for the facility in the first place.

The factory’s primary function for the company is to build electric buses. Think of that as the physical shell and interior of the buses. It starts with cutting and welding of the aluminum frame components, which are trimmed and welded together based on customer specifications that can be selected from BYD’s numerous bus formats and then customized to the range required by the customer. BYD sizes its batteries such that they will be able to meet the customer’s required range even after an estimated 70% degradation at the end of their projected 12–15 year life.

As the frame takes shape, BYD’s technicians bolt in its in-hub motors, batteries, inverters, chargers, and all of the fun low-voltage components that service the passenger cabin: lighting, indicators, speakers, and the like. Then it’s good to go. Buses are painted or wrapped per the customer specification, tested, and then delivered. It is not a lighting fast process, but BYD’s new factory gives the company enough capacity to churn out ~4 buses per day, on average.

Don’t expect those production rates to be realized immediately. Rather, production will ramp up as customer orders increase. The BYD Lancaster facility is the largest dedicated electric bus manufacturing facility in the Americas — an honor BYD takes great pride in. This is a testament to BYD’s continued foresight into where the market is headed and the pace at which the market is ramping up, as well as its own ability to bring down costs and ramp up production capacity.

Government officials and BYD leadership alike spoke to the importance of working together and, indeed, a diverse representation of Democratic and Republican leaders was pulled together to pave the way for BYD’s entrance into the United States and into Lancaster, which speaks to the importance of working towards common ground. For its part, BYD pushed hard to find the best location after identifying the US as the correct nation for growth at the time.

BYD’s move into the Americas will continue to evolve and expand as the market for electric vehicles continues to grow … and there is more to come from this event, but that will come later. For now, know that BYD has moved into its home territory in Asia aggressively; then expanded to Europe, South America, and North America with a force that reveals insight into the direction each of those regions is heading.

We love BYD and wewill continue to push and pull to get the latest updates from the company. And we’ll keep poking at the BYD team to encourage them to bring passenger cars like the BYD Tang (below, in California) to the US for American fleets and consumers.

BYD Now Third Largest Electric Car Manufacturer

In global sales, BYD is now third in total sales of electric cars (including plug-in hybrids). Nissan-Renault leads with 369,000 (the Renault Zoe is very popular in France and the rest of Europe). Tesla is in second place with 164,000 cars sold and BYD is just a tick behind with 161,000 sales. Those numbers were as of the end of September. When the final numbers are in at the end of this year, BYD may have vaulted into sole possession of second place.

BYD Tang plug-in hybrid SUV

Most of the company’s sales are in China, with some cars sold in South America. Through the end of September, it reported 74,030 worldwide sales in 2016 versus Tesla’s 54,043. It is now selling about 10,000 cars a month. Most popular are its Qin plug-in hybrid sedan and its powerful Tang plug-in hybrid SUV. The Tang is said to be as fast as a Corvette. It is the best selling “new energy car” in China so far this year.

BYD also offers the e6 all electric car, launched in China in 2010. The e6 was certified for sales in the US by the EPA from from 2012 through 2014. In the American market, it was used primarily by taxi services. It is also sold in Spain, Columbia, and a few other markets. The 5 door hatchback car has proven popular with taxi fleets in those markets as well.

BYD also has a thriving electric bus business in China, Europe, and the US. It builds buses in the United States in a factory in Lancaster, California. As the company learns more about the American market, we can expect it to begin selling its cars in the US within the next few years. The Tang SUV should appeal strongly to US shoppers who want a sport utility vehicle that also has a lower carbon footprint.

Source: Hybrid Cars  Photo credit: BYD

Deliveries of the 500 HP BYD Tang Plug-In SUV Begin in July

BYD is one of China’s most ambitious automakers, not only moving beyond China’s borders to sell its vehicles, but going all-in with plug-in car technology. One of the most anticipated plug-in cars of 2015 is the BYD Tang, a 500 horsepower plug-in SUV that is slated to arrive at dealerships this July, reports CarNewsChina. While the $48,360 base price might seem like a lot to swallow, buyers in China will benefit from a slew of incentives designed to make plug-ins more appealing.

The BYD Tang is the first of the automaker’s second-generation plug-in cars, often referred to as the 5-4-2; 0 to 60 MPH in under 5 seconds, 4-wheel drive, and less than 2 liters of fuel consumption per 100 km. Motivation comes from a pair of 150 horsepower electric motors, joined by a 2.0 liter turbo engine making a combined 505 horsepower and 530 lb-ft of torque.

Maximum electric driving range is rated at 50 miles per charge, comparable to the 2016 Chevy Volt. The Tang Ultimate Edition will push the envelope even farther, offering a 0 to 60 MPH sprint of just 4.4 seconds, rivaling the once-dominant Tesla P85+ (but not the AWD P85D). Speaking of Tesla, BYD is planning a Gigafactory of its own as it strives to stay competitive with Musk.

While the $48,000 price tag is pretty hefty, incentives could bring the cost down to about $35,000. Even in America, the federal tax rebate would bring the cost to just over $40,000, not that far out of line for your typical well-appointed SUV. The interior looks plush and techie enough without being overwhelming, the Tang’s exterior aesthetics would like right at home on America’s roads, and it’ll have plenty of passing power to play with.

If BYD is planning to invade America, the Tang should lead the way.

15 Electric Cars Hitting The Market In 2015

The new year is upon us, and it’s time to run down another list of the new electric vehicles that should be arriving in the US and Europe in the coming 365 days. Without much knowledge of the EV markets outside of North America and Europe, I’m sorry to say that this list of new electric cars is limited to those two continents*. In no particular order (other than the order my memory and Google skills have chosen), here are the new electric cars, SUVs, and crossovers that should be available to consumers in 2015.

Tesla Model X

The Model X is surely the most-awaited electric vehicle of 2015. Perhaps the most-awaited EV of all time… though, the broader accessibility of the Model 3 may have it beat. It is supposed to be a super-high-performance, utilitarian, luxury SUV or crossover with falcon-wing doors. If it matches the concept vehicle (and note that Elon Musk has promised it will be even better), no other SUV or crossover should compete with it. It’s greatest downside is that it will be priced similar to the Model S, which is to say, it will be out of the reach of most. Delayed a couple of years now, the Model X is supposed to hit the market in the second half of 2015.

BMW X5 eDrive

Perhaps the closest competitor to the Model X, the BMW X5 eDrive is a plug-in hybrid electric SUV that will have its fair share of performance, luxury, and high-tech features. It will be able to learn your driving habits and teach you how to drive more efficiently, it will be able to avoid crashes that some drivers would fail to escape from, and it will probably have a bit more “luxury” than the Model X. On the other hand, it won’t have the acceleration, seating capacity, or looks of th Model X. In order to compete, I’d think the X5 eDrive would have to be quite a bit more affordable than the Model X, which might be hard to pull off.

VW Passat GTE Plug-in

The VW Passat GTE Plug-in, unveiled in 2014, is expected to go from 0 to 60 mph in under 8 seconds, which is respectable for an average-priced car. Of course, being electric, that will feel much faster than a gasoline car with the same time. It will also have a very high top speed of 136 mph. It’s all-electric range will also be very good for a plug-in hybrid: 31 miles (though, that figure may be for Europe, and the US one would be quite a bit lower than the Europe one). Sporty, sleek, and with decent specs, if the price is right, this one could sell. Unfortunately, the VW Passat GTE Plug-in is just set for release in Europe at the moment, probably in 2015.

Audi A3 e-Tron

The Audi A3 e-Tron is already on sale at over 100 German dealerships, but it is no this list because it is expected to make its US debut in 2015. There’s already a US webpage for it, and you can sign up for updates. It’s another plug-in hybrid electric car (this seems to be the theme in 2015, quite different from 2014). The electric-only range is estimated to be 18 miles, which is not spectacular, but is better than the Toyota Prius Plug-in. It can go from 0 to 60 mph in a 7.6 seconds. It has also landed a difficult5 stars in Europe’s safety ratings. I think it’ll be hard for the Audi A3 e-Tron to compete with theChevy Volt or Ford Energi models on value for the money, but some will prefer the e-Tron’s looks and the Audi brand, and the President of Audi of America, Scott Keogh, contends that this is not going to be a “compliance car.” We’ll see.

Audi Q7 Plug-in

The Audi Q7 is another plug-in hybrid from Audi. This SUV/crossover will reportedly be able to go from 0 to 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds — hard to beat in this class. The highly awaited luxury plug-in from Audi has a good shot of lifting Audi out of the doldrums of electric inactivity and toward the top of the list for EV enthusiasts. We’ll see.

Rimac Concept_One

The Rimac Concept_One is no everyman’s car. It is an electric supercar out of Croatia that costs a fortune… as in, $1 million. Needless to say, most of us will be lucky to even see one of these, let alone touch one, let alone ride in one, let alone own one. Still, it’s a beauty worth mentioning, and I’m hopeful it will get produced in 2015. As of now, 88 initial cars are planned for production in 2015. TheRimac Concept_One can reportedly go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, and has a horsepower of 1,088. Yep, that’s a “supercar.” Rimac Automobili is a Croatian company, and it recently landed a good bit more investment in order to produce the initial 88 cars.

2016 Chevy Volt

An updated version of the popular Chevy Volt is supposed to be sportier and should benefit from advancements in battery technology. Reportedly taking design cues from the C7 Corvette Stingray and adding a fifth seat, my guess is that an even broader portion of the market will find this version of the Volt fits their needs and desires. With the tremendous satisfaction of first-generation Volt buyers, the 2016 Chevy Volt (Volt 2.0, as many are calling it) could see great sales. I hope so!

Volvo XC90 T8

The Volvo XC90 T8 is yet another plug-in hybrid electric SUV expected to hit the market in 2015. As wereported previously, “Volvo claims that the new T8 ‘Twin Engine’ setup is good for 25 miles of pure electric driving, and delivers a total output of 400 HP with more than 470 lb-ft of torque while producing just 60 g/km of C02,” and Volvo claims that the 2015 Volvo XC90 T8 will offer the best performance and fuel economy in its class.

Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Plug-in, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Plug-in, & Mercedes-Benz C-Class Plug-in

It’s expected that a plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class SUV (formerly called the Mercedes-Benz M-Class or ML-Class) will hit European and US showrooms in 2015. Not much is known about the vehicle so far, but it has been spied lapping the Nurburgring.

Word on the street is that Mercedes will also be releasing an E-Class plug-in hybrid and a C-Class plug-in hybrid. The E-Class plug-in was recently spied in snowy weather, and the C-Class plug-in was spotted earlier this year in Germany. Clearly, not a lot is known about these vehicles yet, but keep an eye on our Mercedes category for all of the latest Mercedes plug-in car news (we’re going to be obsessive this coming year).

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in

The Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in has been on the market in Japan (its birthplace) and Europe for a couple of years now. However, it should finally (after a couple of delays) come to the US in the second half of 2015. Furthermore, it is supposed to come with some notable changes, so it won’t really be the same vehicle as is found (and very, very popular) in Europe and Japan. If the price is right, this electric SUV/crossover could certainly steal buyers away from the Model X, BMW X5 eDrive, and plenty of other electric vehicles.

BYD Tang

*OK, I lied, this one is just going to be available in China, but it’s such an attractive and promising plug-in that I thought it had to be mentioned. BYD was an unchallenged leader in the plug-in car market when it brought the e6 to town. After unveiling the BYD Qin plug-in hybrid about a year ago, that vehicle has really taken Chinese EV sales to another level. The Tang looks even more attractive and I think will help to mainstream electric vehicles in China. It is another plug-in hybrid, and accelerates to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. BYD is hoping to sell thousands of Tangs a month, a feat few electric vehicles have reached.

As a fun side note: The Qin beat 19 other cars in a race when it was launched, including the Porsche 911 and Golf GTI. The Tang will be launched in a similar fashion, and BYD writes: “If any challenger of any standard-stock luxury class Car beats Tang, BYD will provide a reward of 10,000 RMB per challenger.”

Volvo S60 Plug-In

A diesel-electric plug-in hybrid version of the Volvo S60 has been on the market in Europe for awhile, but the US and China don’t really do diesel, so it has been off limits in the world’s biggest auto markets. Volvo is reportedly working on a gasoline-electric plug-in version of the S60, which is aimed at China but could very well end up in the US… we hope!

BMW 3 Series Plug-in

As it promised, BMW is continuing the electrification of its entire lineup. It recently announced a plug-in hybrid version of the BMW 3 Series, which we are hopeful will hit the market in 2015. As covered over on Planetsave: “The drive system of the new PHEV prototype possesses an output of around 245 hp (183 kW), and maximum torque of around 400 N·m (295 lb-ft). The prototype averages about 2 liters/100 km (117.5 mpg US) with regard to fuel consumption, and about 50 g/km with regard to CO2 emissions. When in all-electric mode, the prototype can reach speeds of up to 120 km/h (74.5 mph), and possesses a range of around 35 kilometers (22 miles).” Note, however, that the range is probably based on European testing, and will likely be closer to 15 miles in the US.