Hot on the heels of the Fang Cheng Bao Ti7 PHEV SUV, BYD has started rolling out significant upgrades across its DM-i PHEV models.
Author: Larry Evans
Many people in the US may just now be hearing about the invasive spotted lantern fly and its tree of heaven host plant. For those of us on the East Coast, they are hard to ignore and causing massive economic and ecological devastation. NY state estimates hundreds of millions of dollars in economic damage to the state, with billions of dollars of potential impact on a national level if allowed to spread. Fall is the best time to address the problem, and now is the best time to slow the spread into areas not already infested. While some people may not like the idea of killing bugs or trees, doing nothing could lead to far more destruction.
In the latest round of EURO NCAP safety testing, the BYD Dolphin Surf (aka Seagull) scored the maximum 5 star rating (along with the Nio Firefly, Hyundai Ionic 9, smart #5 and MINI Cooper). Although 5-star ratings have become an expectation, they are by no means guaranteed. The BMW 1 Series, Toyota Urban Cruiser, Suzuki e Vitara, MG3 and Citroen C5 Aircross all came up short to score 4 stars. However, when watching the crash test videos of the Dolphin Surf, it is particularly impressive how well it did, considering its size and short crumple zones.
I previous wrote about BYD’s sales transition in China, with the new Sealion 06 poised to replace their previous Song Plus model at Ocean dealerships. As anticipated, the Sealion 06 sales took off in its first month to become BYD’s second best-selling model, the best-selling model in the Sealion family, and one of the best-selling vehicles in China overall. However, new reports of an order backlog indicate limited supply.
BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao brand recently released the Ti7, a premium SUV with an evolved PHEV platform. While some have been reluctant to embrace PHEVs, the quality and value in this segment makes traditional ICE models hard to justify.
BYD and Shenzhen Port Group recently signed an agreement to expand cooperation between the automaker and port operator. While this news largely flew under the radar, the scope of the agreement goes far beyond BYD’s home ports to develop international logistics and decarbonize global shipping.
I was walking down the street in Queens last week and saw something that I thought I would never see again: A brand new Fisker Ocean. Paper rear plate, no inspection or registration sticker ever attached, fresh from inventory.
There are essentially two different ways a company can account for Research and Development (R&D) spending: as an operating expense that reduces reported net earnings or as a capital expenditure, counted as investing money from net earnings and other sources. One shows up on the income statement, the other shows up on the balance sheet. It might seem like a minor difference, but it can significantly impact financial reporting and how a company approaches R&D.
Over the past few days, I have been scouring through BYD’s 1H Interim Report. Overall, performance was what I expected, if below some projections, but a few notable items stood out.
It may be easy to dismiss initial numbers in emerging markets as being relatively small in quantity and purchasing power. But those markets are developing as the people within them develop. Establishing brand preference and tying the brand to the economic emergence of these countries has an impact that extends far beyond monthly sales rankings. Electric vehicles are the future, and BYD can make their brand most associated with that future. The opportunity exists to establish long-lasting brand preference that can span generations, if BYD can take advantage of it.