A challenge to the US auto market?
by Prairie Weather
Considering how much more popular lately WalMart has been compared to GM, the new little Chinese hybrid sedan may just clean up in a bruised American economy.
Here’s some of what the New York Times reviewer has to say about his ride in the little 4-door BYD (“Build Your Dream”):
…If BYD clears the regulatory hurdles, its F3DM plug-in hybrid would be a frontrunner in the race to become the first production car in American showrooms from a Chinese automaker — arriving as soon as next spring, the company says.
Despite its potential importance, hardly anybody noticed the F3DM, not surprising given its appearance — about as trendy as a Y2K-era Toyota Corolla. Until now, the car has been unavailable for test drives in the United States. The view from behind the wheel is as proletarian as it gets: no frills, no flash, no real driving engagement. It would be easy to chuckle at the F3DM’s minor flaws — the wobbly storage compartment between the front seats, subpar floor mats, squishy handling. But the build quality and materials seem perfectly adequate for utility-oriented Americans. The exterior panels line up; audio and air-conditioning buttons are a bit big, but easy to use; seats are reasonably comfortable. Slam the door and it goes “thunk.”
“Thunk” is crucial, of course. But who cares about lousy floor mats. You can upgrade easily with what you’ll save on fuel and still have some left over for other dreams.
BYD says that later this year it will submit the necessary filings to obtain federal safety and emissions certification. My test car was a Chinese-issue production model, visiting California on a research exemption. According to company officials, “close to 10,000” of the F3DM models have been sold in the home market.
To focus on the F3DM’s inconspicuous sheet metal and boring driving experience is to miss the audacity of BYD’s strategy. Think of the F3DM as a Chevrolet Volt with a Wal-Mart price tag, a car with a large-capacity battery — that delivered 31 miles of uninterrupted pure-electric driving for me — as well as a gasoline engine that gives it the ability to go an additional 300 miles.
And breathe cleaner air. That rates right up there with “thunk.”
This has been cross posted from the blog Prairie Weather.