Joint venture between Daimler and BYD to reveal EV design concept at Auto China 2012 in Beijing

21 November 2011

Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co. Ltd. (BDNT), the 50:50 R&D Joint Venture between Daimler AG and BYD Company Limited, is going to show a design concept of the future joint venture electric vehicle to the public for the first time during next year’s Auto China in Beijing.

BDNT will be present at the motor show in April 2012 with its own appearance, showcasing its vision, the new brand’s identity, including brand name, logo and positioning as well as the concept car’s exterior and interior design. The Concept Car is going to give a first outlook on BDNT’s fully electric vehicle that is scheduled to be launched in 2013.

Work on building up the electric vehicle’s first prototypes has started with the target to have them running by springtime next year. The joint venture is leveraging BYD’s expertise in battery technology and e-drive systems and Daimler’s know-how in electric vehicle architecture and safety.

Production of the new generation of compact to mid-size electric vehicles in Shenzhen is going to be closely accompanied by Daimler’s quality management experts and will to a large extent follow Daimler’s standardized production system for passenger cars.

The supplier sourcing for the new vehicle is nearly completed. Both partners have decided to sign a number of China-based international as well as local suppliers.

Daimler and BYD signed the contract to form BDNT in 2010; at the end of February 2011, BDNT has received its business license from Chinese authorities. With its many metropolitan areas, China has the potential to be among the world’s largest markets for zero-emission vehicles. Daimler and BYD are determined not only to participate in this growth of electric mobility in China but to accelerate it even further.