Warren Buffett-Backed Electric Car Makes Detroit Debut
Posted By: Alex Crippen


China's BYD Auto's e6 all-electric automobile made its Detroit debut today, with an assist from the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary MidAmerican Energy Holdings.

MidAmerican and Warren Buffett made headlines last September, paying $230 million for a 10 percent stake in BYD.

CNBC's team at the Detroit Auto Show shot some video of the car, described by the manufacturer as a "mid-size five passenger crossover vehicle" with a range of about 250 miles on a single charge.

A shorter-range electric vehicle was introduced in China last month.

In a news release, BYD Chairman and President Wang Chuanfu is quoted as saying the company plans to sell both all-electric and hybrid vehicles in the U.S. starting in 2011. He also says BYD will set up manufacturing facilities in the U.S. "when it is appropriate."

MidAmerican Chairman David Sokol was also present at the Detroit show. His quote: "For the electric-vehicle market to mature, the underlying charging infrastructure and technologies must mature at least simultaneously, if not first. Perhaps like no other corporate entity in the world, we are in a position to help make that happen."