Capital Intensive China

BYD's e6 - A long road ahead

  • Published 12 Aug 2010

China Confidential travels to Shenzhen to ride in the e6, talk to those who drive it and interview those who make it - and finds a car that falls far short of the hype.

The e6 electric vehicle was hyped as the jewel in BYD's (1211:HKG) crown, the centrepiece of its campaign to throw off its down-market image and capture an early share of the global market for pure electrics. Investor expectations were hoisted high by the battery and auto-maker's assertion that the e6 can drive 400km on a single charge. Already bolstered by Warren Buffet's acquisition of a 10% stake in the company in September 2008 and more substantially by the success of the company's fossil-fuel powered vehicles (its F3 was China's top-selling compact in 2009), its share price soared last year.

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China Confidential Funds, a new research service launched by FT China Confidential, is dedicated to illuminating the mainland fund industry. Our team of fund industry experts in Shanghai search out the interesting trends in fund performance, strategy, interactions with overseas funds, regulatory changes, distribution and management. We also use a proprietary system to track the emerging flows of Chinese money. Click here to find out more.

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