CRI听力: BYD Eye U.S. Market in 2009

Chinese automaker BYD has presented an all-electric crossover vehicle at the North American International Auto Show. The company says it plans to march into the North American market by the end of the year.

Chinese carmakers at the auto show this year are representing themselves as green vehicle manufacturers.

BYD, backed by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, is making aggressive moves using hybrid technology.

Fred Ni, a general manager with BYD, says the China-built crossover dubbed the e6 will be very affordable.

"BYD's e6 is a full-size electric vehicle with roomy space for five passengers. Our BYD ferrous battery is located under the seats and therefore will not sacrifice any cabin or cargo space."

BYD says the five-seat e6 has a top speed of 87 mph and can travel up to 205 miles on a single charge. The car will take about an hour to fully charge at a dedicated station or longer at a standard home outlet.
 
The company declined to disclose the price of the car, but says it will be comparable to petrol-powered cars of a similar size.

BYD sold 450-thousand vehicles in China last year. It says it wants to increase its sales to 800-thousand this year in its home market.

The company's Mid American Energy Holdings Corporation, the utility division of Buffett's Omaha, Nebraska-based flagship Berkshire Hathaway, has a 9.9-percent stake in the Hong Kong-traded company.

Henry Z. Li is BYD's general auto export division manager.

"It's quite challenging, as we said. We will target this market before the end of the year, but it's a ramp up. It will take time to ramp up the volume and the dealers and also the infrastructure networks. It will take some time, and I don't know yet how quick we can accomplish that for the whole nation."

Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst at IHS Global Insight in Troy, Michigan, says BYD will have a difficult time selling cars in the U.S. because its designs look older than Americans are accustomed to, and the quality of the body panel assembly and paint do not measure up to American standards.(www.hxen.net)

"If you have aspirations to be the largest carmaker in China, the largest carmaker in the world by 2025, you have to have the right products. It has to be flawless; it has to be fully competitive. BYD vehicles are not yet there."

But Bragman says it won't be long until BYD and other Chinese automakers raise their games and become competitive in the U.S.

BYD plans to use partnerships to establish a dealer network in the U.S. to sell and service the e6, but locations and other details have not yet been finalized.