Technology Levels Playing Field For Electric Cars
现在恐怕不是进入汽车业的好时候，尤其是对发展中国家名不见经传的小公司就更是如此。至少在半个世纪以来，没有哪家初创公司能够发展成为大型汽车制造商。
It would seem like a lousy time to get into the car business, especially if you're a little-known company in the developing world. No start-up has grown into a major auto maker in at least half a century.
但中国电池和汽车制造商比亚迪股份(BYD Co.)的创始人、主席王传福认为他存在这样的机会。
Wang Chuanfu, the founder and chairman of BYD Co., a Chinese battery and car maker, thinks he's got a shot.
上个月，比亚迪股份开始在中国市场销售充电式油电混合动力车，比美国和日本的类似尝试领先至少一年。这款名为F3DM的轿车可以使用家庭插座充电，同时还拥有行驶过程中能给电池充电的小排量汽油引擎。这是比亚迪计划向全球推出的一系列电动轿车的第一款，在中国之后，它计划最早在2010年在欧美市场推出。
Last month, BYD began selling a plug-in electric hybrid car in China, at least a year ahead of similar efforts in the U.S. and Japan. The car, called the F3DM, plugs into a home outlet and comes with a small gasoline engine that can recharge the battery on the go. It is the first of an array of electrified cars BYD plans to introduce around the world, starting in China and then in the U.S. and Europe as early as 2010.
预计王传福周一将在底特律的北美国际汽车展上向美国消费者介绍F3DM。该车展周六向公众开放。他的这一冒险之举吸引了业内资深人士和投资者的注意，其中包括沃伦?巴菲特(Warren Buffett)。
On Monday, Mr. Wang is expected to pitch the F3DM to U.S. consumers, during a news conference at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, which opens to the public Saturday. His venture has already attracted the attention of industry veterans and investors, including Warren Buffett.
王传福的策略是，利用电动轿车的低门槛进入市场。没有多少产品像开发和生产燃油汽车那么复杂，这类汽车使用成千上万的精密机械部件组装而成。但电动轿车只采用基本的马达和变速箱，零部件相对较少。除了完善电池本身之外，电动轿车的制造更容易，成本也更低，从而可以创造公平的竞争环境。
Mr. Wang's strategy: capitalizing on the electric car's low barriers to entry. Few products are as complex to develop and produce as gasoline-powered automobiles, which are assembled with thousands of precisely engineered parts. But electric cars use only basic motors and gearboxes, and have relatively few parts. Aside from perfecting the battery itself, they're far easier and cheaper to build -- and that makes for a level playing field.
王传福在位于深圳郊区的比亚迪总部接受采访时称，像我们这样的后来者想同通用汽车(GM)等有着100多年汽油发动机制造经验的老牌汽车厂家竞争几乎没有获胜的希望。凭借电动轿车，我们可以处在同一起跑线上。
'It's almost hopeless for a latecomer like us to compete with GM and other established auto makers with a century of experience in gasoline engines,' said Mr. Wang in an interview, pacing and juggling calls in BYD's headquarters on the outskirts of Shenzhen. 'With electric vehicles, we're all at the same starting line.'
电动轿车要想大行其道，前方的道路并不平坦。高昂的汽油价格开始下降，这可能会降低公众对替代燃料汽车的接受程度。此外，要说服消费者尝试未经考验的技术，比亚迪还需要打消西方不信任中国制造的态度。电动车的安全性也受到质疑，被普遍视为电动轿车商业化关键部件的锂离子电池有时可能出现过热甚至起火的现象。
It's still a bumpy road to a full-blown era of battery cars. Punishingly high gasoline prices have come down, potentially damping the public's willingness to embrace alternative-fuel vehicles. In addition to convincing consumers to try untested technology, BYD has to fight mistrust in the West of Chinese-produced goods. Safety has also come into question, as some of the lithium-ion batteries -- widely believed to be the key to making viable electric cars -- have shown a tendency to overheat and sometimes catch fire.
王传福说，比亚迪的电池采用了新技术，因此比其它型号的锂离子电池更加安全。他还说，丰富的廉价劳动力能够降低成本，这是打动消费者的另一个因素。在中国，F3DM的定价是人民币15万元（约合22,000美元），比亚迪预计在美国的售价将与此接近。而雪佛兰(Chevrolet) 的混合动力车Volt预计2010年面市时的价格至少为4万美元。
Mr. Wang says BYD's batteries use a new technology that makes them safer than other lithium-ion models. He also says cheap abundant labor helps keeps his costs down, another factor that could sway consumers. In China, the F3DM is priced at 150,000 yuan, or $22,000, and BYD expects it sell for a similar amount in the U.S. The Chevrolet Volt, by contrast, may be priced at $40,000 or more when it hits the market in late 2010.
比亚迪的另一个潜在优势是：10多年专业生产电池的经验。王传福 1995年向表哥借款人民币250万元成立了这家公司，生产手机电池。如今，比亚迪已成为全球第二大锂离子电池生产商。该公司去年的收入为212亿元（31亿美元），共有13万名员工。去年9月，艾奥瓦州能源生产商MidAmerican Energy Holdings投资2.3亿美元，收购了比亚迪10%的股份。巴菲特是MidAmerican的最大股东。
Another potential BYD edge: more than a decade of experience specializing in making batteries. Mr. Wang started the company in 1995, borrowing $300,000 from a cousin, and making batteries for cellphones. Today, BYD is the world's second-biggest producer of lithium-ion batteries. The company made 21.2 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) in revenue last year and has a work force of 130,000. Last September, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., an Iowa-based energy producer, invested $230 million in BYD for a 10% stake. Mr. Buffett is majority owner of MidAmerican.
MidAmerican董事长苏德伟(David Sokol)说，比亚迪吸引投资者的原因之一是其1万名工程技术人员，许多都是刚刚毕业的大学生和技校生。王传福在中国创造了物美价廉的研发力量。
BYD caught the investors' attention in part because of its army of 10,000 technicians and engineers, many fresh out of college and technical schools, says David Sokol, chairman of MidAmerican. 'Mr. Wang has built high-quality but low-cost research and development capabilities in China,' says Mr. Sokol.
作为比亚迪的第一款电动轿车，F3DM更像是纯粹的电动轿车，而不像目前已经上市的油电混合动力车。充满电后，它可以完全靠电池行驶50至60英里。而丰田汽车(Toyota Motor)的普锐斯基本属于汽油燃料轿车，电动引擎可以在低速时推动轿车，在加速时给汽油引擎助力。F3DM在设计上同通用雪佛兰的Volt类似，但其推出时间比Volt早两年，比定于2009年末推出的丰田充电式混合动力车早一年。
The first of BYD's electric cars, the F3DM, is more of a purely electric car than the gasoline-electric hybrids on the road today. It can go about 50 to 60 miles exclusively on electricity when fully charged. By contrast, Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius is essentially a gasoline-fueled car with an electric engine that propels the car at low speeds and assists the gasoline engine when accelerating. The F3DM is similar in design to General Motors Corp.'s Chevy Volt. But it is being launched two years earlier than the Volt and one year ahead of Toyota's plug-in hybrid, which is due out for late 2009.
其它进入这一领域的非传统竞争者包括挪威的Think Global、英国的Lightning Car Co.和加州的Tesla Motors及Fisker Automotive。它们也都计划很快推出用锂离子电池驱动的轿车，或是已经小批量接受订单。新兴竞争对手的增加可能给底特律汽车厂家构成威胁，三大厂家一直寄希望于混合动力车和电动轿车能够帮助它们扭转局面。
Other nontraditional players jumping into the fold include Think Global in Norway, Lightning Car Co. in the U.K. and Tesla Motors and Fisker Automotive, both in California. They all plan rollouts soon, or are already taking orders in small numbers, for electric cars powered by lithium-ion batteries. The growing field of upstart competitors could pose a threat to Detroit, where the Big Three are betting that hybrids and battery cars can help fuel their turnaround.
在中国，比亚迪是增长最快的独立汽车厂家之一。尽管中国轿车需求放缓，但对其传统小型车F3和F0的需求仍在增长，使其缩小了同中国两大独立汽车品牌奇瑞汽车(Chery Automobile)和吉利控股(Geely Holding Group)之间的差距。2008年四季度，F3是中国最畅销的车型之一。德国咨询公司Roland Burger高级研究员沃尔夫冈?伯恩哈特(Wolfgang Bernhart)说，比亚迪可能是最有希望成为打入西方汽车市场第一人的中国汽车制造商。比亚迪计划在2009年底之前推出全电动轿车比亚迪e6，这款轿车一次充满电后能够行驶180英里。这将是有一个里程碑式的推进。
In China, BYD is already one of the fastest-growing independent auto makers. Demand for its traditional small cars, the F3 and the F0, is growing despite weakening car sales in China, allowing it to close in on Chery Automobile Co. and Geely Holding Group, the two biggest independent Chinese auto brands. The F3 was one of China's best-selling models during the last quarter of 2008. 'BYD is probably the closest . . . to becoming the first Chinese auto maker to crack the Western auto markets,' says Wolfgang Bernhart, a senior researcher for the German consulting firm Roland Burger. By late 2009, BYD plans to mark another milestone by launching in China the BYD e6, an all-electric car capable of going 180 miles on a single full charge of its battery.
电动车的概念已经有一百多年的历史了。但目前电动车仍未成为主流，主要原因是电池既笨重又昂贵。直到最近才可以买到能在小空间里（比如在汽车后座下面）存储足够能量、快速充电、全天候工作而不会过热或出现故障的电池。
The concept of an electric vehicle has been around for more than a century. But so far it has failed to become mainstream in large part because the batteries have been too heavy, bulky and costly. Until recently, no commercially available battery could store enough energy in a small space, such as under the car's back seat, recharge quickly and operate in all weather without overheating or failing.
在这方面，多用于笔记本电脑和手机的锂电池是最有希望的。不过，安全问题导致这类电池的生产很缓慢。通用和丰田都表示，它们在推出电动车上花费更多的时间，以确保电池的安全性。
Lithium-ion batteries, like the ones used in laptop computers and cellphones, hold the most promise. But the safety issues have slowed production. Both GM and Toyota say they are taking more time to roll out their electric cars to make sure their batteries are safe.
王传福说，比亚迪的锂电池采用的是化学特性稳定的磷酸铁技术，因此安全性自然就好。他说，电池不会过热到起火的温度。
Mr. Wang says BYD's lithium-ion battery uses an iron-phosphate technology that is chemically stable and thus 'inherently safe.' He says it doesn't overheat to the point where it can catch fire.
这项技术与A123 Systems开发出来的一项技术在设计上类似。这家美国电池创业企业由一群来自麻省理工学院的科学家牵头。通用汽车正着手利用该技术为Volt提供动力。熟悉A123的人士表示，该公司计划拆开比亚迪的电池，看看比亚迪是否有侵权的行为。A123公司管理人士拒绝置评。
The technology is similar in design to that developed by A123 Systems, a U.S. start-up battery maker led by a group of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. GM is using their technology to power the Volt. Individuals close to A123 say the company plans to take apart BYD's battery cell to see if BYD has infringed on any of its technology. Officials at A123 declined to comment.
比亚迪表示，它用了10多年的时间开发出自己的磷酸铁锂电池技术，没有侵犯其他公司的知识产权。比亚迪高级工程师罗红斌说，外国人有时候认为每个中国企业都剽窃技术和设计，但我们是花了很多年研究电动车的。
The Chinese company says it has spent more than 10 years developing its own iron-phosphate-based lithium-ion technology without infringing on others' intellectual property. 'Sometimes foreigners think every Chinese company is stealing technology and design,' says Luo Hongbin, a senior BYD engineer. But, he says, 'we have been researching electric vehicles for so many years.'
在早期测试中，评论人士说比亚迪电动车仍有一些问题。比如，F3DM的汽油发动机会发出嘎嘎声，发动起来的时候噪音可能很大。方向盘在转弯的时候也常常发紧。比亚迪销售和市场营销负责人李竺杭说，公司正努力在向新的市场推出比亚迪电动车前解决这些问题。他说，我们有很多时间能把车做得尽善尽美。
In early testing, reviewers said the car still has some kinks. The gasoline engine in the F3DM, for instance, rattles and can be noisy when it kicks in. The steering wheel also tends to get stiff when making a turn. Henry Li, a senior BYD executive in charge of overseas sales and marketing, says the company is working to resolve these issues before the car hits new markets: 'We have plenty of time to make them perfect.'
现年42岁的王传福把制造电动车比作和生产电子表一样简单。他说，谁都能设计、生产电子表，但新手基本不可能达到瑞士表那样的精准度。
Mr. Wang, the 42-year-old Chinese entrepreneur, compares the simplicity of building electric cars to the simplicity of a digital watch. 'Anyone can design and produce digital watches, but it's virtually impossible for a newcomer to match the precision of a Swiss wristwatch,' Mr. Wang says.
的确，比亚迪全电动车e6只有两个发动机（每个由45个部件组成，一个用于驱动前轴，一个驱动后轴）和两个与之配套的变速箱（每个有60个部件）。这就意味着，除去其他一些小部件，整个系统有210个主要部件。与之相比，比亚迪汽油车F6共有1,400个主要部件：V6发动机就包括840个部件，传动系统有 560个部件。
Indeed, BYD's all-electric e6, has just two motors (45 parts each), one powering the front axle and the other the rear, and two gearboxes (60 parts each) to go with each of the motors. That means the whole system has 210 primary parts, excluding nuts and bolts. In comparison, BYD's F6, a gasoline-fueled vehicle, has a total of 1,400 powertrain parts: a V6 engine composed of 840 parts and a transmission with 560 parts.
在深圳的比亚迪工厂，电动车的发动机和电池的生产自动化程度很低，明显给人一种技术含量较低的感觉。成排的工人手工组装发动机和电池，其中大部分是二十岁左右、身穿蓝色制服的女工。
At BYD's plant in Shenzhen, electric motors and batteries are produced with little automation, creating a decidedly low-tech feeling to the place. Rows of workers, mostly women in their late teens and early 20s dressed in blue uniforms, assemble them largely by hand.
王传福对电池的痴迷可以追溯到上世纪80年代中期，当时他在大学学习冶金物理和化学。在获得硕士学位后，他在北京有色金属研究总院研究部门找到一份工作。他说那是一份舒 的工作，但是他后来感到无聊，决定自己创业，当时中国改革开放正进入如火如荼的阶段。
Mr. Wang's fascination with batteries harks back to his college days in the mid-1980s, when he studied metallurgical physics and chemistry. After receiving a master's degree, he found a research position at the General Research Institute of Nonferrous Metals in Beijing. He says it was a cushy job, but he grew bored and decided to go out on his own just as China's experiment with capitalism was going into full swing.
王传福与另外二十几个工程师一起创立了比亚迪。在短短几年之间，公司就开始向摩托罗拉(Motorola Inc.)、诺基亚(Nokia Corp.)和三星电子(Samsung Electronics Co.)等公司销售电池。王传福说，业务每年都在翻番。2002年比亚迪在香港上市。
Mr. Wang set up BYD with two dozen engineers. Within a few years, the company was selling batteries to companies like Motorola Inc., Nokia Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co. The business doubled each year, Mr. Wang says. BYD went public on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2002.
吸引王传福注意力的一个行业是汽车业，尽管当时他还不会开车。（那以后他开始学开车，现在上下班的座驾是雷克萨斯(Lexus)。)2003年初，王传福决定收购西安一家名叫秦川汽车的小型汽车厂，不过投资者表示强烈反对。
One industry that grabbed Mr. Wang's attention was cars, even though he didn't know how to drive at the time. (He has since learned and takes his Lexus to work.) In early 2003, Mr. Wang decided to acquire a small auto maker named Qinchuan Motors in Xian, but investors voiced strong opposition.
王传福在一次电话会议上透露说，1998年他指示手下20名高级工程师悄悄地改进比亚迪的手机电池技术，以便有一天能用于汽车。他们开发出一款全电动汽车，这款名为Flyer的笨重车型只比高尔夫球车先进一点儿。
On a conference call, Mr. Wang disclosed that in 1998 he had instructed 20 of his top engineers to quietly scale up BYD's cellphone-battery technology so that it could be used to power cars some day. They developed an all-electric car, a clunky vehicle called the Flyer that was just a step above a golf cart.
受此鼓舞，投资者赞成比亚迪先设计一款传统汽油车的计划，这样公司可以学会汽车设计和制造的基础过程。2005年中期，比亚迪推出了第一款名为F3的小型轿车。外国汽车业人士指责F3是丰田卡罗拉的翻版。王传福说，他非常注意不侵犯其他公司的知识产权。他说，通过综合丰田等公司在中国的好点子，比亚迪创很快造出了自己的汽车。他说，他认为没有比把汽车业的领头羊作为“基准”来学习行业诀窍更好的方法了。
Encouraged, investors blessed plans for BYD to first design a traditional gasoline car so the company could learn the basics of design and manufacturing. In mid-2005, BYD launched its first car, a small sedan called the F3. Foreign industry observers accused the F3 of being a copy of the Toyota Corolla. Mr. Wang says he was careful not to infringe on another company's intellectual property. 'By synthesizing good ideas in China from Toyota and others, BYD created its own cars quickly,' he says. He says he believed there was no better way to learn the ropes of the auto industry than 'benchmarking' the industry's best.
丰田发言人说，不打算就F3的问题起诉比亚迪。丰田驻北京发言人Hitoshi Yokoyama说，通常来讲，如果我们能确定有明显的侵权行为，我们都会准备采取法律行动。
A Toyota spokesman said the Japanese company doesn't intend to take BYD to court over the F3. 'In general, we're always prepared to take legal action if we can determine there is a clear case of infringement,' says company spokesman Hitoshi Yokoyama in Beijing.
比亚迪一直在不断改进自己的电动车。2008年4月，王传福在北京车展上展示了一款e6的雏形，那是一个令他心潮澎湃的时刻。他在安徽省的一个贫困家庭长大，不到15岁的时候，靠种水稻为生的父母就双双因病去世了。
Behind the scenes, BYD kept fine-tuning its electric cars. In April 2008, when Mr. Wang unveiled an e6 prototype at the Beijing auto show, it was an emotional moment for the executive, who grew up poor in Anhui Province and lost both of his rice-farmer parents to illness by the time he was 15.
王传福站在用来庆祝的一片烟花和五彩纸屑中，宣布e6标志着汽车业一个新时代的到来。他说，我们坚信能够在电动车技术上超越通用、丰田等全球性汽车商。
Standing amid firecrackers and confetti, Mr. Wang declared the e6 marked the arrival of a new era in automobiles: 'We have every confidence to surpass GM and Toyota and other global auto makers in electric-vehicle technology.'
Norihiko Shirouzu
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