BYD e6

[CZguy]

Just back from Intersolar in Muenchen, Germany.

An interesting stand from BYD - they have showcased street legal BYD e6 (http://www.byd.com/na/e6/e6.html) so the EU homologation is done already. Obviously not as safe and not as appealing as Tesla, but 80kWh battery, vehicle-to-grid capability (imagine driving to your isolate mountain cabin and plugging in), and retail price is below €50k! They even said fleets of 10 without warranty service coverage can be made for €30k each. Wow.

 

[ggr]

...imagine driving to your isolate mountain cabin and plugging in...

and then not being able to drive away again.

 

[trils0n]

80kWh of LiFePO4 batteries must be quite heavy. Just looked up specs and it's a 2420kg vehicle = 5335 lbs. 90kW (121hp) motor. Definitely not in the same class as a Model S (weak motor, heavy batteries, not much cargo space, safety), but good to see other companies making EVs.

I kinda like the "Vertical Charging Carrousel" in the brochure though. 2 parking spot footprint, but holds 12 cars and has 500kW of total charging power. At 5335 lbs each vehicle, it must be quite a sturdy structure.

 

[jimmyjohn]

I don't understand product marketing.

Why would a key selling point for a car be "Fire Safe" --- as if I would, as a potential customer, need such reassurances?

BTW, I live in Portland Oregon and have never seen one of their Portland Fleet cars.

 

[ZachShahan]

Yes, the Qin was also there (it is a top seller in China).

But note that the e6 does not drive like a normal EV. From a review by one of our writers (who has had a Mercedes B-Class Electric and Nissan LEAF, and got a Tesla Model S a couple of months after this review):

"After getting over the increased range and the possibilities it opened up, I focused more on the drive and the feel of the car. The acceleration of the e6 stands out from other EVs, and not in a good way. It’s not slow but it definitely doesn’t have the typical peppy response of most EVs. Additionally, the throttle is capped, which I had not experienced before. Gasmobiles are occasionally speed-governed with a maximum speed but they are not traditionally throttle-limited, which translated into a point in the accelerator pedal travel where the car just stops accelerating faster. In talking about this with BYD, they shared that the e6 had been tuned to minimize wear on the vehicle and to maximize range. This makes sense for a fleet vehicle, but I can’t imagine consumers would appreciate this “feature” unless that gets translated into an “eco” mode that consumers can opt into or, more importantly, out of. On the upside, that enables the insane range that these cars consistently deliver and, to be honest, their #1 selling point."

More info here: Driving The BYD e6 On US Soil!

The Qin is another story altogether. It is supposedly very sporty/quick. It has mostly been available as a PHEV, but there's also now a fully electric version.

 

[Jamie H]

A friend of mine who works for BYD loaned me her e6 a couple weeks ago. I put 150 miles on it over a 3-day period and I have to say it was a totally awesome experience. I'd be happy to share more about it, and a few photos, if anyone's interested.
-Jamie

 

[PaulRocket]

A friend of mine who works for BYD loaned me her e6 a couple weeks ago. I put 150 miles on it over a 3-day period and I have to say it was a totally awesome experience. I'd be happy to share more about it, and a few photos, if anyone's interested.
-Jamie

Yes please

 

[Erleichda]

A friend of mine who works for BYD loaned me her e6 a couple weeks ago. I put 150 miles on it over a 3-day period and I have to say it was a totally awesome experience. I'd be happy to share more about it, and a few photos, if anyone's interested.
-Jamie

Please!

 

[Jeff N]

A classic BYD e6 test drive from TransportEvolved. The fun starts at the 3 minute mark and be sure to watch all way until then end.

My interpretation of the video is that at lower battery SOC such as 24% their voltage sags and the car becomes undrivable on significant hills. However, it's possible that it drives like that even when the battery is more fully charged.

I believe they are driving a 2013 model. Apparently a new 2016 model has a bigger battery so it may have more power. I have no idea if the newer car has an upgraded inverter or motor.

 

[cronosx]

My interpretation of the video is that at lower battery SOC such as 24% their voltage sags and the car becomes undrivable on significant hills. However, it's possible that it drives like that even when the battery is more fully charged.

I would say that it simply doesn't have enought power, the problem with the charging level is a top-high acceleration, i'm sure that a tesla can beat the crap out of you even at 10% of charge ( correct me if i'm wrong )

Starting from 0 to a 20° ramp and going up this slowly it probably require the same power as a "normal" start in normal condition, so they put the cap limiter at this point.

A bigger battery or a full-charged battery or a bigger motor would not change anything if you limit you output say to 180wh/km until you give a "free to beat the limit" in some case.. it probably can be fixed with a software upgrade, if the car has a too slow-start, just dump the limiter and bring it back after.

 

[racevpr]

Warren Buffet invested in this company, so it must be good.

 

[Jamie H]

As a follow-up to my earlier post: Lisa and I will have a BYD e6 here in New Hampshire again for the weekend of Sept. 10-11, and we'll be offering test drives at our Electric Vehicle Expo on Sept. 11. Stop by if you're in the area. Alternatively, if you have specific questions about the e6 - or if you'd like to see some photos - definitely let me know.

The e6 we drove in June was a 2014 model, and it didn't have cruise control. (We're hoping to get the 2016 model next month...) Without cruise control, trying to maintain speed on undulating terrain meant the car had to cycle back and forth a lot between accelerate mode and regenerate mode, with a jerky motion each time. That was our only complaint, and I understand it has already been addressed.

Aside from that, the e6 was a pleasure to drive. We roared right up a long, steep hill without hesitation - 10% grade and 500 feet of elevation gain. The e6 isn't as luxuriously outfitted or as technologically advanced as the Model S and X, but no one expects it to be. We were pleasantly surprised by its roominess; the e6 has plenty of passenger and cargo space. And it ranks near the top in terms of all-electric driving range - 180 to 200 miles. Looking forward to driving it again in September!

 

[JeffK]

As a follow-up to my earlier post: Lisa and I will have a BYD e6 here in New Hampshire again for the weekend of Sept. 10-11, and we'll be offering test drives at our Electric Vehicle Expo on Sept. 11. Stop by if you're in the area. Alternatively, if you have specific questions about the e6 - or if you'd like to see some photos - definitely let me know.

The e6 we drove in June was a 2014 model, and it didn't have cruise control. (We're hoping to get the 2016 model next month...) Without cruise control, trying to maintain speed on undulating terrain meant the car had to cycle back and forth a lot between accelerate mode and regenerate mode, with a jerky motion each time. That was our only complaint, and I understand it has already been addressed.

Aside from that, the e6 was a pleasure to drive. We roared right up a long, steep hill without hesitation - 10% grade and 500 feet of elevation gain. The e6 isn't as luxuriously outfitted or as technologically advanced as the Model S and X, but no one expects it to be. We were pleasantly surprised by its roominess; the e6 has plenty of passenger and cargo space. And it ranks near the top in terms of all-electric driving range - 180 to 200 miles. Looking forward to driving it again in September!

I think my only question would be, have you actually been in another EV to compare it to?