Start with what the BYD e6 is: a 5-door MPV with electric motor, built from 2009, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. What it meant takes a little longer.
How it came about
The BYD e6 is a battery electric vehicle manufactured by BYD Auto from 2009. Field testing for the first generation model began in China in May 2010 with 40 units operating as taxis in the city of Shenzhen. Sales to the general public began in Shenzhen in October 2011, over two years behind schedule of the originally planned release date of 2009.
A number of e6 units were operating in fleet service as taxis in China, Colombia, Belgium, Singapore, the U.S. (New York and Chicago), the Netherlands, the UK, and Indonesia. Since 2010 sales in China totaled 34,862 units through December 2016. The BYD e6 ranked as the best-selling pure electric car in China in 2016 and won a golden medal for “Best Quality Product” at the Havana International Fair 2015.
The hardware
The engine is electric motor. On the scales it comes to 2020 kg. The wheelbase is 2830 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
The cars a buyer would have weighed it against include the Tesla Roadster, the Lexus LFA, the Nissan Leaf. Its Byd stablemates include the BYD 8TT and the BYD Atto 2.