BYD SEEKS TO CAPITALISE ON INDIA’S GREEN PUSH, LAUNCHES PREMIUM EVS

NEW DELHI : China’s electric vehicle maker BYD on Monday launched its e6 model in India, seeking to capitalize on the country’s emerging market for electric mobility.

An official statement from BYD India Pvt. Ltd. said the model, with 71.7 kilowatt-hours (kwh) blade battery, is being made available to the businessto-business segment.

The vehicle can travel a distance of 415km on a single charge and offers a top speed of 130 km per hour, the company said.

The new e6 MPV is offered with a 71.7 kWh Blade Battery which the carmaker claims can return a range of 520 kms on single charge in city conditions according to WLTP ratings. Powered by a 70kWh electric motor, it can generate a peak torque of 180 Nm and offer top speed of 130 kmph.

Mint was the first to report BYD India’s plan to launch the e6 model in India on November 1 before the launch.

Mint reported on Monday that a host of electric four-wheeler models, such as the e6 from China’s biggest electric carmaker BYD Auto Co. Ltd, Kia’s Soul EV, and Renault’s hatchback Zoe EV, may be launched in India.

BYD said the total cost of ownership would tremendously benefit consumers and the segment overall. BYD said it was “thrilled” to be a part of India’s electric vehicle revolution and would roll out more products in the future.

BYD India was set up in 2007 in Chennai and has an office in New Delhi. The Indian unit has two factories covering more than 140,000 sqm, with a cumulative investment of over $150 million.

BYD’s India branch has gradually developed into the group’s South Asia regional headquarters. The Indian branch has successfully piloted pure e-buses in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.