BYD begins e6 electric car sales to individuals
BYD Co. began selling its e6 electric car to individuals in China Wednesday as it seeks to lead the country's market for alternative-energy cars.
BYD claims a range of 300 kilometers for the e6, which has a sticker price of 369,800 yuan ($58,000).
Buyers in BYD's hometown of Shenzhen in southern China will qualify for as much as 120,000 yuan in subsidies, according to Li Ganming, a deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission's Shenzhen branch.
In 2010, China introduced sales subsidies ranging up to 60,000 yuan for each electric car purchased in Shenzhen and four other cities. Buyers of the e6 in Shenzhen will get an additional local subsidy worth 60,000 yuan, Li said.
The city has set up more than 60 EV charging stations.
China's State Council is considering a development plan for new-energy vehicles, Su Bo, vice minister of the industry ministry, said last month.
The government aims to have 1 million EVs and plug-ins on China's roads by 2015, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. As of July, 10,000 EVs and plug-ins were running in 25 trial cities, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
