BYD has announced plans to introduce two new vehicles at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The first model, dubbed the e6 Premier, appears to be a facelifted version of the current e6. Powertrain details remain under wraps, but the company says the MPV uses an iron-phosphate battery which enables the Premier to hit a top speed of 140 km/h (87 mph) and travel up to 300 km (186 miles) on a single charge.

On the other hand, the S6DM is the world’s first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV. It features a 10 kW (13 hp / 14 PS) electric motor that powers the front wheels and a separate 75 kW (101 hp / 102 PS) electric motor for the rear wheels. While the crossover can only travel 60 km (38 miles) on electricity alone, a 2.0-liter range-extending petrol engine increases that distance to over 499 km (310 miles).

Both vehicles will be unveiled on January 10th, so stay tuned for more information.

Press Release:

BYD to Announce Green Vision at NAIAS on January 10th

BYD’s “Three Green Dreams” focuses on renewable energy generation, environmentally-friendly energy storage and efficient energy consumption, covering solar power, Iron-phosphate energy storage and electric vehicles. BYD will present their short and long term “Green City Solutions” which includes plans to help cities electrify all public transportation, and reduce air pollution and carbon emissions at a low cost.

BYD’s pure-electric vehicle — the e6 Premier (2012 Year Model) and the brand-new dual mode electric SUV — the S6DM will make their world premieres on the main floor exhibit space at the COBO Center at the 2011 NAIAS. The World’s first mass-produced F3DM sedan low-carbon version and the core drive technology of the pure-electric bus, shown at EVS25 recently, will also be showcased.

The new 5-seat crossover — the BYD e6 Premier (2012 Year Model) has a more dynamic and sporty exterior design. Equipped with BYD Iron-phosphate “FE” battery, the e6 Premier has an expected range of 300km (or 186.4 miles) on urban roads, while its projected top speed is 140km/h (or 87 mph). It only takes 40 minutes to fully charge the e6 on the 100kW fast charging cabinet and 6 hours to overnight-charge the e6 on the 10kW standard charging pole. These characteristics make the e6 ideal for daily commuters and in-town driving.

The core technology of the pure-electric K9 e – B us is another BYD breakthrough in the field of electrified transportation. The specially designed in-wheel electric drive and the electronically-controlled air suspension allows this 12-meter-long e-Bus to have ample space and a low-floor for easy passenger loading and unloading. The K9 is able to run 250+ km (155+ miles) on a single charge.

The BYD S6DM SUV is the world’s first independent 4WD dual-mode electric SUV. Traveling over 60km (38 miles) purely on electric power and over 310 miles extended range when engaging the environmentally friendly 2.0L gasoline engine, this SUV sports a 10kW electric motor (M1) paired with a smooth 6-speed dual-clutch transmission propelling the front wheels while a powerful 75kW electric motor (M2) powers the rear wheels.

The F3DM low-carbon version also features the BYD Fe battery together with a BYD 371QA 1.0-liter gasoline engine. This vehicle is equipped standard with a solar panel sunroof to parallel charge the Fe battery. Powered by the Fe battery pack alone, the F3DM can travel over 60km (38+ miles). The extended range HEV mode allows the car to achieve another 500 km (or 313 miles) with a maximum speed of 150km/h (about 93.2 mph).