The E6, which has a range of 300 kilometers (188 miles) per charge, retails for 369,800 yuan (approx £36,000 / $58,000), BYD said today in Shenzhen, where it is based. Buyers in the southern Chinese city will qualify for as much as 120,000 yuan (nearly £12,000) in subsidies.
The Chinese government aims to have 1 million electric-powered vehicles on China’s roads by 2015, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The world’s largest automobile market had more than 10,000 energy-saving and alternative-energy powered vehicles running in 25 trial cities as of July, according to figures from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
China announced in June 2010 it would give buyers in Shanghai and four other cities up to 60,000 yuan (nearly £6,000) in subsidies for each electric car they purchase. Buyers of the E6 in Shenzhen will get an additional 60,000 yuan. The city has set up more than 60 charging stations.
BYD has said it plans to appoint dealers in the U.S. this year for the E6 and will export the car and electric buses to the U.S. and Europe next year, with a right-hand drive E6 available in Hong Kong in June.
