BYD to ship first electric mini-van to U.S.

Chinese automaker BYD has announced plans to bring its electric-powered mini-vans to America this year. The five-seater from BYD dubbed as “e6” will be the very first Chinese vehicle to hit the U.S. market. This Chinese green vehicle, like its other electric rivals, runs on everything from batteries to solar panels and tiny wind turbines. The car’s range has been quoted at 300 kilometers on a full charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The mini-van is expected to be priced above US$40,000. (April 28, 2010)