EPA-Rated Range For 2016 BYD e6 Electric Taxi Is 187 Miles Per Full Charge

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Though the model isn’t available to general consumers in the US, there actually are some BYD e6 electric vehicles being operated in the US. These are mostly being used as part of various fleet trials throughout the country.

As a result of its availability here, limited or otherwise, the EPA does evaluate the model for various performance metrics, including its single charge range (it’s an electric, after all). So, what’s the EPA-rated range for the e6? The newest, 2016 BYD e6 has been determined to possess a 187 mile range, putting it a head above most of its would-be competitors, though not the Chevy Bolt EV or any of Tesla’s offerings.

Notably, though, this 187 range is achieved through the use of an 80 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack — quite a large battery pack — which means that the model isn’t a very energy efficient one and probably possesses a high drag coefficient.

This is an increase in total range over earlier model years, when the use of a ~60 kWh battery pack related to an EPA-rated range of 127 miles per full charge.

The head of BYD’s US unit, Micheal Austin, commented: “The 2016 BYD e6 models had the pack capacity upgraded from 60 kwh to a little over 80 kwh.”

Green Car Reports provides more: “The car’s rated efficiency also rose, from 63 to 72 MPGe (not that high for a battery-electric vehicle). Miles Per Gallon Equivalent, or MPGe, is the distance a car can travel electrically on the same amount of energy as contained in 1 gallon of gasoline. … Unfortunately, the company declined to tell us how many e6 vehicles it has in circulation in the US. … Meanwhile, the company is testing the car with a small number of Uber drivers in Chicago, and e6 test vehicles have been spotted in other Midwest states as well.”

Interesting. As a reminder, BYD actually sold more plug-in electric vehicles last year than any other auto manufacturer — besting the sales figures of GM, Tesla, Nissan, Renault, BMW, and Volkswagen.

Images by Kyle Field | CleanTechnica


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James Ayre

James Ayre's background is predominantly in geopolitics and history, but he has an obsessive interest in pretty much everything. After an early life spent in the Imperial Free City of Dortmund, James followed the river Ruhr to Cofbuokheim, where he attended the University of Astnide. And where he also briefly considered entering the coal mining business. He currently writes for a living, on a broad variety of subjects, ranging from science, to politics, to military history, to renewable energy.

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