BYD Qin seen in the flesh

BYD revealed a concept called the “Qin,” which is a plug-in vehicle set to replace their F3DM last week. Toda it was finally seen live, ready for the auto show.

More details emerged a few days ago, includihng a mysterious travel companion in the form of a pop-up robot that would interact with the driver. Overall, its interior looks much improved over the current BYD line up.

The Qin would be equipped with a much smaller and more efficient battery pack than the F3DM. Coupled with a larger wheelbase, this would give it more interior than its predecessor. It’s also expected to also accelerate much faster, going from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds. The downside is a smaller pure electric range than the F3DM, 50 km vs 60km.

The car is expect to cost from 150,000 to 200,000 RMB, but subsidies for green vehicles could make that price up to 80,000 RMB cheaper. China’s coal-generated electricity is not very green, but with rising fuel prices this could become a financially viable car.