Not one year has passed since the two car makers signed the memorandum of understanding and a Chinese website got its hands on what they say it is the car developed by the two.
The blurry photo of the car surfaced on Xcar.com.cn and has been deemed by those with knowledge of the matter as being authentic. The photo shows some type of sketch, a draft of the final version of the vehicle as it has been agreed upon back in December.
The vehicle, which will be marketed under its own dedicated brand, is expected to be launched on the Chinese market, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), sometime in 2013.
According to the inside sources, the design of the car sacrificed the futuristic design cues usually associated with EV and replaced them with more practical ones.
The result is a combination between a sedan and a crossover, as the sources told WSJ. The production version of the model, yet unnamed, is expected to be close to the one portrayed in the adjacent photo.
As for the powertrain to be used in the car, utter silence. Daimler is very keen on its fuel-cell electric cars, while BYD has quite a rich history of manufacturing more conventional EVs. Further details are expected at a slow pace.
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