There is nothing as exhilarating as sheer speed.
The setting is in China, where a mid-sized SUV literally zooms from 0-100 km in less than 4.5 seconds: 4.4, to be precise. It is all-electric and runs 600 km on a single charge. Additionally, its fast-charge can juice up the battery power pack of this four-wheel-drive SUV in barely 90 minutes.
Welcome to the world of BYD Co, which offers this experience on wheels in China. Named Tang, after one of the most prosperous dynasties in China, the electric SUV clearly sets some new benchmarks. A test drive shows the kind of strides the Shenzhen-based BYD has made in electric mobility.
The Dynasty series of passenger vehicles are christened Qin Pro, Tang EV, and Tang DM, Song Pro, Song Max, and Yuan. Founded by Wang Chuanfu, a chemist and now a billionaire, BYD has clearly come a long way since it began its journey way back in 1995. One of its celebrated investors is Warren Buffet, who has had a 10 per cent stake for a decade now.
Seeing operations at the BYD plant is an experience by itself and it is quite natural for a first-time visitor to get all starry-eyed. Beeping robots move a mattress-sized lithium-ion pack which is then lifted by a crane and mounted in the underbelly of the chassis.
Workers dressed in all-blue uniforms fasten the pack with power tools and before you know it a gleaming car rolls out of the assembly line, ready for testing.
During a visit to the BYD facilities in Shenzhen, this writer soaked in the experience of the various manufacturing processes, right from lithium-ion battery making to the assembly line for electric-powered cargo units and forklifts.
Humble origins
この記事は The Hindu Business Line の December 20, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は The Hindu Business Line の December 20, 2019 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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