First 100 Deliveries Of BYD Tang 600 SUV Headed To Norway
After what seems like a really, really long time since the first BYD Tang SUVs were sent to Norway on a promotional tour, the first 100 all-electric BYD models are officially on their way to Norway, and what’s more, the company plans to deliver 1500 BYD Tangs to Norwegian customers before the end of 2021!
The news was met by a special ceremony at BYD, with a number of VIPs from government departments, industry associations, and BYD suppliers, plus more than 400 media guests who gathered to mark the occasion. And, honestly, that didn’t seem like “too much” hype, either, as the move to begin selling cars outside of its native Chinese market is a huge deal for BYD. It’s big news for established Western carmakers, too, as BYD, while largely an unknown name in the US, has already built over one million “new energy” electric cars. (Yeah, 1,000,000!)
BYD Celebrates 1,000,000 EVs
“BYD shoulders the responsibility and mission of upward development for China’s new energy vehicle brands,” explains Wang Chuanfu, Chairman and President of BYD. “From zero to one million vehicles, this is BYD’s response to the call for global auto industry transformation. It also sets a benchmark in the journey of the new energy vehicle industry in China starting from nothing, alongside the greater national journey for a country dominated by traditional automobiles to one that is a leader in the field of sustainability.”
As for the BYD Tang itself, the car is pretty impressive. The Tang 600 model uses BYD’s breakthrough “Blade Battery,” which the company claims is a fully fire-resistant and explosion-resistant battery that, in addition to providing added safety and peace of mind for FUD-susceptible EV buyers, cuts down on the cubic volume of the battery pack by a stunning 50% compared to “conventional” EV batteries … and, like, how awesome is it that there are “conventional” EV batteries now?
Those batteries power a pair of 150 HP electric motors that are efficient enough to give the BYD Tang 600 a 4.4 0-60 MPH acceleration time and — you guessed it! — up to 600km of EV driving range. That’s a little over 370 miles to you and me, but it’s worth noting that the Chinese and European range estimating procedures are a bit different than they are in the US, so expect a number closer to 300 if it ever comes this way.
The BYD Tang 600 is Pretty Nice, Too
In addition to aiming at the upper end of the mainstream SUV market, BYD has plans to expand into Europe’s commercial truck and bus market, too. In another statement, the company wrote that, “Today marks not only the beginning of the Tang EV’s market trials in the Norwegian passenger car sector … BYD is also reaffirming its commitment to a wider European expansion programme when it will bring pure-electric van and truck models to selected commercial vehicle markets.” And, in case you were wondering, the United States is definitely one of those markets.
What do you guys think? Is BYD about to prove itself a real player against the established European brands, or is that stereotype of bad Chinese build quality going to seem a bit more real once these are parked next to Volvos and Mercedes built in their home markets? Scroll on down to the comments and let us know.
Source | Images: BYD, via EV Obsession.
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