If you've heard of BYD already, it's probably not because of its cars. The Chinese automaker gained some brief notoriety last year when investment guru Warren Buffet bought 10 percent of BYD's parent company.
There was no mention of Mr. Buffet at its Detroit auto show press conference, but BYD did announce that it plans to enter the U.S. market in 2011. No details were given on which cars it plans to bring over, but it's worth noting that BYD already has a plug-in hybrid on sale in China.
It's called the F3DM and it can be plugged into a household outlet in addition to receiving a charge from its onboard motor generator. In other words, it's sort of like a Chevrolet Volt that looks like a Toyota Corolla, not a great combination. -- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line
Inside Line News
billt9 says:
10:55 PM, 01/13/09
So far their lineup consists of a
F3 Corolla
F6 Camry-Accord combo.
F8 (I don't recognize what it is, but looks familiar)
E6 another Toyota/Honda combo.
I guess it's sort of like Tesla using a Lotus, except BYD uses Toyota and Honda molds without permission, but it's ok since those are the socially accepted rules in their country.
I wonder who would possibly want to buy this brand logo considering GM and Fords are so cheap, if you're just looking for something low priced.
ctpax says:
11:14 PM, 01/13/09
keep this garbage out of our country.
firstwagon says:
07:23 AM, 01/14/09
"Keep this garbage out of our country."
I remember when people said that about the Japanese and the Koreans.
The difference with the Chinese is they are improving at a rate far greater then either of them. I have never met a people so eager and willing to change and learn.
The first cars will likely be average at best but they will quickly pass the Koreans and the Americans.
ctpax says:
11:02 AM, 01/14/09
"I have never met a people so eager and willing to change and learn."
You're judging by your own experience? Are you sure they are eager to change and learn and not just mass produce products to earn fast money?
I don't think you completely comprehend the way a Chinese business owner thinks and operates. One thing is for sure - you've never met people who will try to cut corners at every single opportunity. For crying out loud, they don't even kill the animals before they skin them alive for fur, because it would be wasteful energy. Chinese quality (if there is in fact such a thing) will never surpass Korean, Japanese, and American ones. They haven't even stopped stealing other manufacturers' designs.
firstwagon says:
12:04 PM, 01/14/09
You're judging by your own experience?"
Yep. A couple years ago, my company moved one of our older production lines to China. It was a good product but out of date and due to cease production. Our parent corporation decided to continue it at their plant in Shanghai. We spent about 6 months with their employees and engineers coming over to learn from us and then our workers going over there to train them.
We also dealt with quite a few Chinese parts manufactors as we put together a local vendor network.
Once you get to know them you find they are nothing like the racial sterotypes that the media and unions love to push. Most are well educated and very determined to do everything correctly.
Basically they will build you whatever product you want to the cost you want. You want a piece of junk for a dollar, they will build it for you. You want a high precision laser imaging device for $22,000, they will build that.
The unions have good reason to fear these guys. They don't go on strike, they don't call in sick when it's fishing or hunting season and they never say "sorry, that's not my job". They still have a work ethic.
Years of a backwards government kept them behind the west but all that's changing. Don't be fooled by the protectionists to believe that somehow the Chinese are somehow inferior to other people.
ctpax says:
04:16 PM, 01/14/09
Never said they were inferior to other people. I said they love to cut corners and do so at every opportunity. How many times have you heard about bad quality products that come from China? How many times have you heard about toxic materials used in production of toys, home appliances, and even food (the baby food incident)? The extreme concentration of lead in a chinese made toy that led to a little boy's death a couple of weeks ago?
I have experienced their quality of work firsthand (those 'workers' were also from Shanghai). I'm a software engineer and my company (a major one in Silicon Valley) employs a whole slew of 'engineers' in Shanghai. Those people are being paid way more than passenger car assembly workers that are employed by BYD. I can easily see their work ethic by judging the reliability and efficiency of code they produce. God knows how many bugs we have because of China Development Center alone. And you're telling me they are eager to learn and determined to do everything correctly? I will never believe that until I see results with my own eyes and every day goes by and every day something new breaks. Hope your company's partners are better than that.
estreka says:
08:05 PM, 01/17/09
Where have I heard this all before? Was it Chery and Bricklin?
If BYD somehow manages to construct an entire dealer network, supply chain, a lobby in Congress, a massive media network, and, oh yeah, pass emmissions and safety standards in 2 years, I'll invest in BYD asap. Any company that can do all that is divinely-backed.