Renault and Nissan’s EV producing partnership seems to be picking up speed, and ever-more interesting names, potential customers and governmental support. Perhaps this new company really will become a force to be reckoned with, or is it just media hype?

Unless I’m mistaken there are very few automakers right now who aren’t worried about the future. While most are faced with an uncertain future and desperately try to balance their accounts a rarer breed of Automaker exists. They’re not clamoring for Federal tax breaks and they’re not visiting the President to ask for more money. The workers for these automakers aren’t on strike. They’re not asking the Prime Minister for more wages, or moaning about outsourcing. And they don’t have showrooms full of vehicles the sales team just can’t shift. Granted, they don’t have many rights as workers and their government would probably balk at the idea of worker representatives or a union.
One particular company comes to mind when reading that description. While perhaps off the radar of many consumers, this company has the likes of GM, Ford, and Toyota fully in it’s sights. They already produce a fully road-working, commercially available plug in hyrbid, capable of as much as 40 miles on all electric power. And they sell at a cheaper price than the current Toyota Prius. Who is this mystery company? The company who Warren Buffet was so impressed by that his company invested a reported $232m in? Why, the Chinese company BYD.

Those of visit this site regularly will know that one of my personal projects has been to convert a 2004 Prius (affectionately known as Velma) to a plug in hybrid.
The conversion process has certainly not been plain sailing – but that’s been due to my own stupidity and impatience. (Simply put, I didn’t properly check the battery health when I installed a second-hand pack. I learned the hard way and blew one pack up, a few days after installation. £300 later and I was able to re-install a PHEV pack.)
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Governor Granholm, the state governor for Michigan, has written an article for Newsweek Magazine in which she states that the future for state is battery powered.

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In keeping with some of the recent overtures of the current administration, Granholm talks of a brighter future for America’s auto industry in which Michigan-made electric vehicles will help break America’s dangerous addiction to foreign oil. She even goes as far as to talk openly about a “leaner, greener auto industry”, one which will be better for the American nation on security, economic and environmental fronts.