While GM Was Doing Whatever They Do, BYD of Shenzhen Innovates

Today, the very first Chinese plug-in hybrid was sold. The car is the F3DM from BYD, a company that formerly made batteries. The word from my design research colleague is that BYD had made a bundle in mobile-phone batteries, so to build a hybrid car, they went out and bought a car company.

The F3DM is, as of today the 17h of December, 2008, the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid. The General Motors offering, the Chevrolet Volt, was slated to go on sale at the end of 2010.But today, (more) sad news from the auto behmoth. GM announced that they were putting the engineering of the Volt's engine on hold. They say they don't have the cash.

This should put the lie to the word on the street about the lack of engineering innovation in China. (Check out the Hard-hat show from SexyBeijing.tv for more on Chinese design. . . ).

There are problems with the quality of a lot of products in China--big problems. But there is also some real innovation. When you visit, see if you sense any special optimism, any special pride among younger white-collar workers in China. Will the feeling be the same among working class people who have issues with health care and high prices? And when will this car be available in the USA? These are things to look for when you visit Shanghai and Beijing. We should look for a BYD dealer, too.

What does BYD stand for? Build Your Dream. There's that optimism, at least in the choice of a company name. (Yes this YouTube is in Mandarin, but watch it, anyway).