By Jim Brennan

UDMan

You know things in Detroit are depressing when a small Chinese car builder is taking up premium space on the main floor. BYD is showing off their gas electric hybrid called the F3DM. This car will have the ability to plug in to a standard 110V household current, or it can do a “quick charge” at a charging station. This is more of an electric vehicle than the Prius or Insight hybrids, as it can run about 50 miles on just electric power before the gasoline engine is needed.

Continue reading "NAIAS: China Carmaker BYD on the Main Floor with a Hybrid" »

In this blog, I’ve written many times about how I think the Japanese, with their violin-playing robots, sadistic game shows and vending machines which dispense seemingly anything, are completely crazy. And I mean that as high praise. But if the behavior on display in Detroit is any indication, the Chinese are  gunning hard to out-crazy our friends from the Land of the Rising Sun. Exhibit A? When Matt Hardigree from Jalopnik inquired about BYD Auto’s new Dual-Mode Hybrid, the Chairman gave him a test drive—inside the show. The shot below is the car navigating through an American LeMans Series press conference. Wow, I love these guys! Get the full story over at Jalopnik.

I love hood ornaments, from the LaLique crystal craze of the art Deco Period to the menacing bulldog on the Mack Truck. They’re really called mascots, and two of the most famous are Packard’s "donut chaser" and Ettore Bugatti’s elephant. So I’m happy to report that our friends in Asia are hopping on the hood ornament band wagon, and I hope they can get their beauty through pedestrian safety testing. BYD Auto delighted me with this bit of chrome, found on their F8 coupe.

They’re coming. It’s not in doubt. NAIAS features three Chinese carmakers this year: Geely, Changfeng, and BYD. Geely gave a press conference two years ago with an incomplete vehicle. This year, they brought us several models which are significantly improved. And apparently, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Meet the Geely DTS, er, HIFUN.