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The BYD F3DM unveiled at the 2008 Geneva International Motor Show.

BYD Auto is now selling the world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid. Designated the F3DM, the car is based on their popular F3 model (which looks roughly like a Toyota Prius and a Hyundai mashed together), the “DM” meaning “Dual Mode.”

Unveiling the new car at the 2008 Geneva International Motor Show, the car is set to hit show rooms at the end of November: in China. Don’t expect world-wide acceptance of this car anytime soon.

Why not? I mean, it’s a plug-in hybrid, the thing we’ve all been begging for. Right? Well, ya, but it’s made in China and Chinese cars have a reputation for being low on safety standards. In 2007, the third major crash test of a Chinese-made vehicle showed horrifying results—the crash-test dummy was so embedded in the wreckage that they had to cut it into pieces to remove it. Not good. See the video:

Recent crash tests of the F3 (called the EuroNCAP model) showed much better results, though only doing “fair” on the test. That’s still a big step up. One caveat, though: that test was on a EuroNCAP model, not the standard for-sale-in-China model F3 this new PIHV is based on. So again, don’t expect this car to export anytime soon. Here’s a video of the recent crash test:

Europe is downright fast and loose with their crash test allowances when compared with North America. The U.S.A. and Canada have much more stringent rules, which means even less chance the F3DM will ever be seen here.

On the other side of the coin, BYD is becoming a bigger player in the world market thanks to recent innovations and some very impressive R&D ideas and testing, especially with their “F6DM” research, which is showing promise. This is a hybrid-electric car in which the non-electric component is hydrogen-based, not gasoline-based. Don’t expect to see those on the road soon, if at all, but the development is what matters.

BYD F6DM on display at 2008 Detroit Auto Show.

Now consider that the MidAmerica Energy Holdings Company (a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway—that’s Warren Buffet) invested 1.8 billion HK dollars (about $230 million USD) at the end of September, gaining a 10% hold on BYD. MAEH is a very conservative investor and this kind of money shows that they’re interested in BYD and, most probably, the Chinese auto market as a whole. Statements at the press conference to announce this investment were very green-centric, touting BYD’s investments in future technologies developments as a major factor in the investment decision.

The F3DM has some impressive numbers, though no third-party verification has been made. These include a 70 mile range per charge before the engine kicks in. The price tag for this car is about $22k USD and the sedan model, which debuted in the Detroit Auto Show, will hit the market at the same time for a few dollars more. The company has voiced hopes to sell the cars in Europe and the US by 2010, but no firm dates are set.

BYD itself is more than a car manufacturer (having only made cars for four years now), claiming to supply 65% of the world’s nickel-cadmium batteries and 30% of its Li-Ion mobile phone batteries. The BYD name stands for “Build Your Dreams.”

Perhaps, by building the F3DM and getting it to market first, even if it’s only in China, BYD has lived up to its name. At the very least, they’ll go down in history as the first major manufacturer to put a plug-in hybrid to market.

This Post via HybridCars