Last week, BYD, China’s largest and one of the oldest electric vehicle manufacturers, officially notified the authorities that it would stop producing vehicles powered exclusively by internal combustion engines. From now on, it will produce only hybrids and electric vehicles.
Image Source: BYD
According to the Chinese classification, as explained Archyde.com, the latter types of vehicles are classified as New Vehicle Types (NEVs), and therefore hybrids are in the same category as electric vehicles in terms of subsidies and taxation. BYD will not stop producing internal combustion engines on its own, as low-volume, high-efficiency powerplants will be required for hybrid vehicles. However, hybrids produced by BYD will be able to be recharged from the mains, which, with small daily runs, will allow the owner to do without starting the internal combustion engine.
In March, BYD sold 104,878 vehicles with new types of power plants, more than four times more than a year earlier. Of these, 53,664 cars were “thoroughbred” electric vehicles, 50,674 cars were rechargeable hybrids, and 540 belonged to the commercial sector. The company promises that it will continue full-fledged service and warranty support for customers operating vehicles with internal combustion engines. Chinese BYD was the only vehicle manufacturer from China to sign, along with Western automakers (Volvo, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover), an obligation to stop producing cars with internal combustion engines by 2040.
If you notice an error, select it with the mouse and press CTRL + ENTER.
