China’s BYD launches NEV versions to compete with Tesla and Jeep

SHENZHEN – Chinese electric car company BYD is rapidly expanding its lineup to include vehicles that compete with traditional manufacturers in the mass market, Tesla at the end of the charge and the Jeep in the off-road section.

BYD on Tuesday unveiled three new vehicles for its Fang Cheng Bao brand: the “Leopard 8” off-road SUV, the “Super 3” city-oriented SUV and the “Super 9” sports car.

The company did not announce the price. Instead, BYD billed the cars as concept cars and hinted that more details would be released at the auto show in Beijing next week. It was not immediately clear to what extent the new vehicles will be fully electric.

BYD launched its Fang Cheng Bao brand last summer with a focus on “personal needs of consumers,” especially in off-road vehicles and sports cars. The brand’s first vehicle, a hybrid SUV called the “Leopard 5,” was launched in November with a starting price of about 290,000 yuan ($40,845).

About 20,000 Leopard 5 vehicles have been delivered, the company claimed on Tuesday.

BYD also sells an SUV and an off-road sports car under its Yangwang luxury brand, which was launched early last year to target consumers willing to spend about 1 million yuan or more per vehicle.

Most of BYD’s vehicles are in the mass market segment and are ranked among the best-selling new energy vehicles in China. This category includes battery-only and hybrid vehicles.

“Over the past 20 years, our continuous technological innovation and disruption have set many benchmarks for the industry,” Lian Yubo, chief scientist at BYD, said in Mandarin during Tuesday’s launch event, according to a CNBC translation.

“The blade battery defines a benchmark for safety. DM-i sets a benchmark for energy consumption, DiSus sets a benchmark for overall vehicle control,” Lian said, referring to BYD’s various technology systems released in the past few years.

For off-road vehicles, Lian suggested BYD’s technology that allows vehicles to use hybrid energy.

BYD’s vehicle launch comes amid intense competition in China’s new energy vehicle market. Chinese smartphone manufacturers Xiaomi last month it released its first electric car, aimed squarely at Tesla’s Model 3.

Chinese automakers including BYD also have their sights set on the global market. This month, BYD announced plans to launch an electric pickup truck overseas this year.