F3DM

BYD first showed the dual-mode idea as the F6DM at the Detroit show in January 2008, then brought the smaller F3DM to Geneva that March. Sales began in Shenzhen on 15 December 2008 at about 149,800 yuan, initially to government agencies and company fleets rather than private buyers. BYD itself billed it as the world's first mass-produced plug-in hybrid, and as China's first mass-produced hybrid electric car. A 1.0-litre petrol engine sat alongside the electric drive, and BYD quoted up to 100 km on battery alone, a manufacturer figure rather than an independent test.