BYD F3DM
Encyclopedia
The BYD F3DM is a plug-in hybrid compact sedan manufactured by BYD Auto
with an all-electric range
of 40 to 60 mi (64.4 to 96.6 ) and a hybrid electric powertrain that can extend the range an additional 300 miles (482.8 km). The F3DM is the world's first mass produced
plug-in hybrid automobile and went on sale to government agencies and corporations in the China
on December 15, 2008. During its first year in the market the F3DM plug-in sold only 48 vehicles. Sales to the general public began in Shenzhen
in March 2010, and only 417 units were sold during 2010.
A testing program was launched in the U.S. on December 2010 with the participation of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
(HACLA). The F3DM was expected to go on sale in the U.S. in 2012 at a price of before any government incentives. In October 2011 BYD announced that retail sales will be delayed due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
which was first unveiled in the North American International Auto Show
in January 2008.
uses a 16 kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries
(LiFePO4) for the F3DM. BYD has said their LiFePO4 batteries are "inherently safe" because they are more chemically stable, although they pack less energy in each cell (100 Wh/kg), compared with more conventional lithium-ion (LiCoO2) batteries (150 to 200 Wh/kg). The F3DM battery pack consist of 100 3.3-volt cells stored under the cabin.
BYD says the car will have a 60 miles (96.6 km) all-electric range
as well as a gasoline engine that allows operation in hybrid mode
that extend the range for an additional 300 miles (482.8 km). The electric range assumes the car is traveling at a constant speed of 50 km/h, which is not likely to reflect real-world usage. The F3DM has a roof-mounted large solar panel capable of providing electric energy to run vehicle accessories such us the radio and climate control.
s, a 50-kilowatt unit that drives the wheels and a 25-kilowatt helper that can send power to the wheels or generate electricity through regenerative braking. The two motors provide all the propulsion until the charge level of the F3DM’s batteries reaches 20%, then after this threshold the car automatically switches from electric mode operation to hybrid mode. At that point, the F3DM’s 1-liter 3-cylinder engine kicks in to bring the battery charge as close as possible to 30%, effectively extending the range of the vehicle just like the Chevrolet Volt
does. The F3DM has a direct connection between the gasoline engine and the wheels that is useful when accelerating onto a highway, just like the Prius. Under high-load circumstances, the 68 horsepower
gasoline engine combines with the electric motors to deliver a total of 168 hp.
BYD calls the F3DM is a dual-mode vehicle because it allows the driver to manually switch from all-electric to plug-in hybrid operation. The hybrid powertrain uses a 1.0-liter engine with battery-assisted acceleration at low speeds and the gasoline engine clutches to drive the wheels when more power is required. The estimated fuel economy
is 30 mpgU.S. (12.8 km/L).
(about USD 21,900). In April 2009, the CEO Wang Chuanfu announced the price will be lowered to increase sales, but currently the price of a 2010 F3DM (with solar panels) is up to 169,800 yuan (US$25,792). Wang also wants an independent verification of the car's on-road performance.
During its first year in the market the F3DM plug-in sold only 48 vehicles to corporate and government customers. The premium price of the plug-in and lack of government subsidies are the main reasons cited by BYD for slow sales; others mention poor quality and "crude transitions" between electric and gasoline power. During 2009 BYD Auto
sold 290,963 of the gasoline-powered F3s
, which starts at 59,800 yuan
(~US$8,750, just over a third of the price of an F3DM) and was China’s best-selling model.
Since March 29, 2010, BYD Auto
began selling the F3DM to the general public in Shenzhen
, Guangdong Province, but only 28 units were sold during the first three months and all were sold to the Shenzhen local government. Among the reasons cited for the slow sales are the lack of infrastructure to charge
, the high battery cost, and also the batteries have been reported to be unreliable.
As the F3DM nearly doubles the price of cars that run on conventional fuel, BYD expects subsidies from the local government to make the plug-in affordable to personal buyers. Similar subsidies are expected in other cities. On June 1, 2010, the Chinese government announced a trial program to provide incentives to carmakers up to 50,000 yuan (~US$7,320) for plug-in hybrids that will benefit residents in five cities: Shanghai
, Shenzhen
, Hangzhou
, Hefei
and Changchun
. After the plug-in subsidy is discounted from the F3DM cost, its sales price would be still almost US$5,900 higher than the gasoline-powered F3 model.
As of November 2010, BYD reported that almost 300 F3DMs have been sold, with 117 units being sold in September 2010. 417 units were delivered in 2010, with BYD (a major battery manufacturer) claiming that they could not build enough batteries to meet demand. Some claim that the F3DM (and all-electric e6
) are mere vaporware, designed to increase BYD's stock value.
(HACLA), which leased ten F3DMs for a month for one year. The trial F3DM sedans delivered to HACLA have an all-electric range
of 40 to 60 mi (64.4 to 96.6 ) and drivers can manually switch the vehicle to stay in all-electric vehicle (EV mode). For trips longer than 60 miles the vehicle can be manually switched to plug-in-hybrid electric, which engages the 1.0-liter gasoline engine to extend the range another 300 miles (482.8 km) while charging the batteries. The onboard overnight-charger allows to charge the plug-in hybrid in less than 7 hours, allowing HACLA to install standard 220VAC outlets in its EV fleet parking areas.
In April 2011 BYD reported that the HACLA fleet achieved an average of 88 miles per US gallon equivalent (MPG-e) based on a total of 14430 mi (23,222.8 km) accumulated by the fleet, of which ~10430 miles (16,785.4 km) were traveled in all-electric mode, representing 72.3 percent of the total mileage logged by the HACLA fleet, and only 4000 miles (6,437.4 km) using gasoline.
The F3DM was scheduled to begin retail sales in the U.S. in 2012 at a price of before any federal and local incentives. In October 2011 BYD opened its headquarters in Los Angeles, a year behind schedule, and announced that retail sales will be delayed due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
Pictures
Video
BYD Auto
BYD Automobile Co Ltd is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province...
with an all-electric range
All-electric range
All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...
of 40 to 60 mi (64.4 to 96.6 ) and a hybrid electric powertrain that can extend the range an additional 300 miles (482.8 km). The F3DM is the world's first mass produced
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
plug-in hybrid automobile and went on sale to government agencies and corporations in the China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
on December 15, 2008. During its first year in the market the F3DM plug-in sold only 48 vehicles. Sales to the general public began in Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
in March 2010, and only 417 units were sold during 2010.
A testing program was launched in the U.S. on December 2010 with the participation of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is the public housing agency for Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1938. There are more than 60 public housing locations in Los Angeles.-History:...
(HACLA). The F3DM was expected to go on sale in the U.S. in 2012 at a price of before any government incentives. In October 2011 BYD announced that retail sales will be delayed due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
History
The F3DM was introduced at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, preceded by the F6DM concept carConcept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
which was first unveiled in the North American International Auto Show
North American International Auto Show
The North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
in January 2008.
Batteries and range
BYD AutoBYD Auto
BYD Automobile Co Ltd is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province...
uses a 16 kWh lithium iron phosphate batteries
Lithium iron phosphate battery
The lithium iron phosphate battery, also called LFP battery, is a type of rechargeable battery, specifically a lithium-ion battery, which uses LiFePO4 as a cathode material.-History:...
(LiFePO4) for the F3DM. BYD has said their LiFePO4 batteries are "inherently safe" because they are more chemically stable, although they pack less energy in each cell (100 Wh/kg), compared with more conventional lithium-ion (LiCoO2) batteries (150 to 200 Wh/kg). The F3DM battery pack consist of 100 3.3-volt cells stored under the cabin.
BYD says the car will have a 60 miles (96.6 km) all-electric range
All-electric range
All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...
as well as a gasoline engine that allows operation in hybrid mode
Hybrid electric vehicle
A hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional...
that extend the range for an additional 300 miles (482.8 km). The electric range assumes the car is traveling at a constant speed of 50 km/h, which is not likely to reflect real-world usage. The F3DM has a roof-mounted large solar panel capable of providing electric energy to run vehicle accessories such us the radio and climate control.
Powertrain
The F3DM has two alternating current electric motorElectric motor
An electric motor converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.Most electric motors operate through the interaction of magnetic fields and current-carrying conductors to generate force...
s, a 50-kilowatt unit that drives the wheels and a 25-kilowatt helper that can send power to the wheels or generate electricity through regenerative braking. The two motors provide all the propulsion until the charge level of the F3DM’s batteries reaches 20%, then after this threshold the car automatically switches from electric mode operation to hybrid mode. At that point, the F3DM’s 1-liter 3-cylinder engine kicks in to bring the battery charge as close as possible to 30%, effectively extending the range of the vehicle just like the Chevrolet Volt
Chevrolet Volt
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
does. The F3DM has a direct connection between the gasoline engine and the wheels that is useful when accelerating onto a highway, just like the Prius. Under high-load circumstances, the 68 horsepower
Horsepower
Horsepower is the name of several units of measurement of power. The most common definitions equal between 735.5 and 750 watts.Horsepower was originally defined to compare the output of steam engines with the power of draft horses in continuous operation. The unit was widely adopted to measure the...
gasoline engine combines with the electric motors to deliver a total of 168 hp.
BYD calls the F3DM is a dual-mode vehicle because it allows the driver to manually switch from all-electric to plug-in hybrid operation. The hybrid powertrain uses a 1.0-liter engine with battery-assisted acceleration at low speeds and the gasoline engine clutches to drive the wheels when more power is required. The estimated fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
is 30 mpgU.S. (12.8 km/L).
Price and sales
China
On December 15, 2008, the F3DM began selling for 149,800 yuanChinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
(about USD 21,900). In April 2009, the CEO Wang Chuanfu announced the price will be lowered to increase sales, but currently the price of a 2010 F3DM (with solar panels) is up to 169,800 yuan (US$25,792). Wang also wants an independent verification of the car's on-road performance.
During its first year in the market the F3DM plug-in sold only 48 vehicles to corporate and government customers. The premium price of the plug-in and lack of government subsidies are the main reasons cited by BYD for slow sales; others mention poor quality and "crude transitions" between electric and gasoline power. During 2009 BYD Auto
BYD Auto
BYD Automobile Co Ltd is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province...
sold 290,963 of the gasoline-powered F3s
BYD F3
The BYD F3 is a compact car produced in China by BYD Auto. The F3 is one of the top selling compact cars in China, looking very similar in front appearance to the 9th generation Toyota Corolla and back appearance to the Honda Fit Aria...
, which starts at 59,800 yuan
Chinese yuan
The yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
(~US$8,750, just over a third of the price of an F3DM) and was China’s best-selling model.
Since March 29, 2010, BYD Auto
BYD Auto
BYD Automobile Co Ltd is a Chinese automobile manufacturer based in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province...
began selling the F3DM to the general public in Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, Guangdong Province, but only 28 units were sold during the first three months and all were sold to the Shenzhen local government. Among the reasons cited for the slow sales are the lack of infrastructure to charge
Charging station
An electric vehicle charging station, also called EV charging station, electric recharging point, charging point and EVSE , is an element in an infrastructure that supplies electric energy for the recharging of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric-gasoline vehicles) or semi-static and mobile...
, the high battery cost, and also the batteries have been reported to be unreliable.
As the F3DM nearly doubles the price of cars that run on conventional fuel, BYD expects subsidies from the local government to make the plug-in affordable to personal buyers. Similar subsidies are expected in other cities. On June 1, 2010, the Chinese government announced a trial program to provide incentives to carmakers up to 50,000 yuan (~US$7,320) for plug-in hybrids that will benefit residents in five cities: Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
, Hefei
Hefei
Hefei is the capital and largest city of Anhui Province in Eastern China. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, and cultural centre of Anhui...
and Changchun
Changchun
Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and...
. After the plug-in subsidy is discounted from the F3DM cost, its sales price would be still almost US$5,900 higher than the gasoline-powered F3 model.
As of November 2010, BYD reported that almost 300 F3DMs have been sold, with 117 units being sold in September 2010. 417 units were delivered in 2010, with BYD (a major battery manufacturer) claiming that they could not build enough batteries to meet demand. Some claim that the F3DM (and all-electric e6
BYD e6
BYD e6 is an all-electric crossover car manufactured by BYD Auto with a range of according to the carmaker. Field testing began in China in May 2010 with 40 units operating as taxis in the city of Shenzhen...
) are mere vaporware, designed to increase BYD's stock value.
United States
A testing program was launched in December 2010 with the participation of the Housing Authority of the City of Los AngelesHousing Authority of the City of Los Angeles
The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles is the public housing agency for Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1938. There are more than 60 public housing locations in Los Angeles.-History:...
(HACLA), which leased ten F3DMs for a month for one year. The trial F3DM sedans delivered to HACLA have an all-electric range
All-electric range
All-electric range is the driving range of a vehicle using only power from its electric battery pack to traverse a given driving cycle. In the case of a battery electric vehicle, it means the total range per charge. For a plug-in hybrid , it means the range of the vehicle in charge-depleting mode...
of 40 to 60 mi (64.4 to 96.6 ) and drivers can manually switch the vehicle to stay in all-electric vehicle (EV mode). For trips longer than 60 miles the vehicle can be manually switched to plug-in-hybrid electric, which engages the 1.0-liter gasoline engine to extend the range another 300 miles (482.8 km) while charging the batteries. The onboard overnight-charger allows to charge the plug-in hybrid in less than 7 hours, allowing HACLA to install standard 220VAC outlets in its EV fleet parking areas.
In April 2011 BYD reported that the HACLA fleet achieved an average of 88 miles per US gallon equivalent (MPG-e) based on a total of 14430 mi (23,222.8 km) accumulated by the fleet, of which ~10430 miles (16,785.4 km) were traveled in all-electric mode, representing 72.3 percent of the total mileage logged by the HACLA fleet, and only 4000 miles (6,437.4 km) using gasoline.
The F3DM was scheduled to begin retail sales in the U.S. in 2012 at a price of before any federal and local incentives. In October 2011 BYD opened its headquarters in Los Angeles, a year behind schedule, and announced that retail sales will be delayed due to the lack of charging infrastructure.
See also
- BYD e6BYD e6BYD e6 is an all-electric crossover car manufactured by BYD Auto with a range of according to the carmaker. Field testing began in China in May 2010 with 40 units operating as taxis in the city of Shenzhen...
- BYD F6DMBYD F6DMThe BYD F6DM is a planned plug-in hybrid mid-size sedan. A planned fully electric version was called F6e. The manufacturer, Chinese automaker BYD Auto, is owned by BYD Company Limited, China's largest mobile phone battery maker...
- Chevrolet VoltChevrolet VoltThe Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle manufactured by General Motors. The Volt has been on sale in the U.S. market since mid-December 2010, and is the most fuel-efficient compact car sold in the United States, as rated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency...
- Government incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehiclesGovernment incentives for plug-in electric vehicles have been established by several national and local governments around the world as a financial incentive for consumers to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle....
- List of modern production plug-in electric vehicles
External links
Pictures
Video
- BYD Auto (English)
- BYD Auto (Mandarin)
- Edmunds
- Test drive in Los Angeles (New York Times)