Published April 23, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Denza made its first appearance at a motor show today at Auto China 2012 in Beijing. It is also the first landmark event since the official launch of the brand, which took place in Shenzhen in March this year.
The concept car unveiled under the new joint venture brand by Daimler and BYD was, of course, an electric vehicle as Denza is dedicated to the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) segment.
The show car previews a full electric battery-driven model to be built and sold in China.
Details about the concept are very scarce. The most useful info the company has released is that “the exterior chrome can be illuminated to provide perfected visibility and safety. It is visually integrated with the battery storage area, which succeeds better than most EVs at keeping the batteries out of passengers’ way.”
This leads us to believe this concept is in the very early stage of development and no powerplant or battery choice has yet been set in stone.
As part of the joint venture, BYD is providing its expertise in battery technology and e-drive systems, as well as their experience in bringing electric vehicles onto the roads of China; while Daimler is contributing its automotive design and know-how in vehicle architecture, safety and quality.
The arrival of the Denza brand, which is the result of the partnership between BYD and Daimler, marked the first strictly NEV brand in the Chinese market.
The company’s first production model is slated for release in 2013.
