BYD F3DM
BYD put a large rechargeable battery into a compact sedan before plug-in hybrids were a familiar sight.
2008 BYD F3DM at the BYD Museum · iMoD Official · CC BY 3.0 Unported
Research pending
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More than a set of wheels.
BYD launched the F3DM in Shenzhen on December 15, 2008, initially for government and company fleets. This page follows that original Chinese launch car with its 16 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery and first-generation Dual Mode powertrain. BYD described three basic ways to move: electric drive, series-hybrid running in which the engine helped generate electricity, and parallel running in which engine and electric drive could work together.
Look a little closer.
Its name is a compact code: F3 is the sedan family, while DM means Dual Mode—the ability to operate as an electric car or a hybrid.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
An early production plug-in hybrid
BYD's company history records the F3DM going on sale in Shenzhen in December 2008. It was not the first plug-in-hybrid experiment, but BYD identifies it as the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid offered to customers, years before the category became common.
Source: BYD · company history ↗A much larger battery than ordinary hybrids
The 16 kWh pack was large enough for a period NEDC electric-range rating of 37 miles. BYD's retrospective reports 280 miles of total rated range, combining the charged battery and fuel tank; test-cycle figures are useful comparisons, not promises for every road or weather condition.
Source: BYD · 18 years of Dual Mode evolution ↗Where these facts come from
- BYD · company history
- BYD · 18 years of Dual Mode evolution
- BYD · first-generation Dual Mode architecture history
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.