BYD F3DM Hybrid Plug-In Hybrid Sedan Could Cost $28,800

Last year, Chinese carmaker BYD Motors announced it will make its debut at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show. Not long after we were done showing you their e6, a report from Plug In Cars caught our attention. According to them, BYD will price its electric e6 crossover at $35,000 (€27,00)and its F3DM plug-in hybrid sedan at $28,800 (€22,200), when they hit the American market.

According to Michael Austin, BYD's vice president of marketing and public relations, the carmaker expects to have at least five showrooms open in the US by 2012. He also pointed out that a total of 10 units of the F3DM were sent out for testing in December at the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, as a testament of the company’s commitment to deliver on its promises.

Development of the e6 crossover is on track and US deliveries will get underway by the end of the year. The e6 features BYD's "Fe" battery which can receive a 50% recharged in a claimed ten minutes. The remaining 50% requires another hour or so, but half a charge is good for about 125 miles (201 km), enough for most customer’s range demands.

The BYD F3DM is a plug-in hybrid compact sedan with an estimated all-electric rage of 40 to 60 miles (64 to 97 km), and an additional 300 miles (480 km) when using the on-board gasoline engine. The production model dual mode system runs the vehicle on electric mode at start-up and under short-to-mid-range conditions. But when the vehicle needs more power, the gasoline engine and the electric motor drive the wheels together.