Chinese battery and automaker BYD will set up its European headquarters in Germany, saying that the decision now depends on “finding the right property and place” and will likely be made before the end of the year, according to Henry Li, GM of BYD’s export division.
Backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, the Shenzhen based company wants to be the first Chinese company to sell electric and hybrid cars in Western Europe, and is aiming for cities that subsidise eco cars. The push will start next year with models such as the E6 electric car, a Honda Odyssey sized five seater that uses two electric motors for a 330 km range before it needs to recharge.
Other cars in the pipeline include the F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan, which looks like a Corolla Altis from the front and a Honda City from the rear. BYD could eventually design and build cars in Europe, the company revealed.
Back home, BYD has a partnership with Daimler to produce electric vehicles. It has invested $88 million in the 50:50 partnership that will create a new brand of EVs for Chinese market, now the world’s largest.
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malaysian turned them down on the request to open a factory here right?
great move, very good!
Stream + Wish
Their effort should be applauded, especially for a company this young. Nevermind that the car looks like copy & paste. H & T should have come up with their own EV MPVs so no point b1tching.
Personally, the appearance is the least important thing to take into account for the young automakers cuz the resource is limited and there are many much more crucial technologies to accquire and break through first. When BYD have enough technology accumulation and abundant money, then it can employ the most talented designers to work for itself just like KIA headhunting the designer from Audi some years ago.
Looks like competition is going to be stiff for EMAS :(
EMAS is hybrid, this is EV. Anyway, EMAS is still some way from being production ready.
But personally, I still don’t favor hybrid or EV.
pollution!
Warren Buffett willing to invest in China automotive company. Time for us to ring the bell. Wake up P1.
EMAS? lol. tahi tu
I’m not proton’s fan either. But be careful with what you say. You may end up eating your words…. ;)
hahahah! u r rite!
I expect the china companies to go international market soon. Once they get into the international market, i guess it will all affects the prices of the cars….By then, the prices will drop sharply….Just my opinion…
I solute this Chinese company, so brave to tear into the German market to compete againts those big giant like VW, BMW & Merc..
I am so ashame of our local manufacturer… So many years but never heard of anything great except buying over lotus & selling MV agusta for EURO1.. lolz
I guess the next move would be employing some famous designer from EU to change and refresh their product then establish EU R&D facility. Just like what Kia and Hyundai did.
BYD always came out with outdated design..even Cherry much more better…but frm my opinion, from physical appearance of BYD can noe already the quality..huehhiehhie..
They are actually getting better. The BYD L3 for example looks much better than the Corolla.
BYD is on a roll. They are a 7 year old company that is growing 100% year-on-year, from 400.000 cars last year to 800.000 this year. Then they got that partnership with Daimler, which gives them a lot of credibility. And now they are setting up HQs in California and Germany.
You don’t mess with Wang Chuanfu. The guy was a peasant and now he is a multi-billionaire.
The goverment has made the foreign cars price so demm expensive. For the price tag of RM80,000, we are getting shits like Vios & City. Do you know in USA, you would own an Accord or Camry.
It seems we have the highest standard of living cost in the world and now talking about scrapping sugar, flour, rice and petrol subsidies. Hahahahah. 1 Malaysia
Yep…most probably Malaysia will be the highest cost living country in the world in a near future. Talking about some Istana and Parliment crap, cost about 800million… and government still dare to say there is no enough money…