Following rumors in various media outlets around the world that BYD had surpassed Telsa to become the top-selling EV company , there was a fair amount of controversy on a number of forums. Since BYD’s sales estimates for NEVs include plug-in hybrids as well as complete battery-electric vehicles, unlike Tesla, there was quite a stir from some quarters who believed that it was not quite accurate.
Opinions on plug-in hybrids have been divisive for years. Some believe there shouldn’t be a need for plug-in hybrids given how far modern battery-electric vehicles have come. Some people believe that plug-in hybrid vehicles still have a future, particularly in areas with less established or broad charging infrastructure. Certain people believe that some plug-in hybrid car owners hardly ever switch to electric mode. Many current plug-in hybrid cars, however, do have a respectable electric-only range.
BYD praises its fourth generation DM-i models in great detail (DM stands for Dual Mode, I think). The DM-i versions have BYD’s ground-breaking Blade batteries, which range in size from 8.3 to 21.5kWh and give the cars an all-electric range of 50 to 120 kilometers. To put that into perspective, the first-generation Nissan Leaf’s range was only about 120 km with a 24 kWh battery. These DM-i models are already being exported by BYD to countries like Colombia . BYD stopped making traditional gasoline-powered cars earlier this year. Now, every vehicle it produces is either a DM-i plug-in hybrid model or a fully electric vehicle. BYD deserves praise for ceasing production of traditional ICE automobiles.
Its fully battery-electric portion of operations is where things start to get very interesting. BYD recently revealed that the all-new BYD Seal, Dolphin, and ATTO 3 will be available in Japan. The BYD Dolphin is a reasonably priced hatchback that is about the same size as the well-liked Honda FIT and Toyota Yaris. BYD’s most recent electric vehicle debut in Australia was a huge success, drawing a sizable crowd that had not been present since the introduction of the Tesla Model 3. The first thousand ATTO 3s have already left for Australia, and those who have reserved one should anticipate receiving their vehicle soon. But what is truly noteworthy and advancing the electric vehicle revolution is BYD’s entry into markets that other leading electric vehicle manufacturers are not currently considering.
BYD is exporting electric vehicles to India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other countries through clever collaborations with local businesses. BYD has a long history in India. Recently, BYD and REVER Automotive collaborated in Thailand, a significant regional market. The ATTO 3 is now being sold in Singapore via BYD. In those areas, the ATTO 3, a cheap small SUV developed on BYD’s e-platform 3.0, could do very well. A new record for BYD sales in Latin America was set lately with the announcement by BYD that 1200 BYD Yuan Pro EVs have already been delivered to Costa Rica since the year’s beginning. BYD vehicles are available for purchase throughout Africa, including in Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Ghana. It’s fantastic to see that BYD is introducing fully electric cars to South and Central America, Africa, and a number of Asian nations. Additionally, BYD has said that it will export its electric vehicles to Sweden, the Netherlands, and other European countries.
BYD has been expanding its EV production in China and establishing new manufacturing sites. BYD has demonstrated that it is prepared to enter new areas where other EV businesses may not be for a variety of reasons. The work BYD is doing deserves serious praise. Every new electric car reduces the market share of traditional internal combustion engines (ICE), thus we need as many EVs as we can acquire to cover all markets as quickly as is practically possible.
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