For the past 6 months I’ve been catching a glimpse of this car in the Great Neck, NY area. But only a glimpse. Darting around a corner down a back alley. Coming the opposite way on Cutter Mill road. Pulling into a parking garage too small for my work van. Like my own personal Bigfoot was always quicker than I could get my camera out...until today!
Driving down Northern Boulevard right at the border of Nassau and Queens. I had my windows down enjoying a beautiful September day when I heard the whirr of something electrically driven next to me.
I had to put the van in park at the light and lean out the passenger side to take this but there it was! I let him get along side me and after talking for a bit between lights the driver said he works for BYD and that’s how he was able to get one. He didn’t really articulate it but I got the sense he was saying they gave up on electric cars on the East Coast and are focusing on commercial buses on the West Coast.
According to their wikipedia page, 80 were imported into the US by 2016 and 50 of those were brought to New York for Taxi and ride-hailing services. This would likely make this the only one in New York on passenger plates. The only other reports of another BYD E6 on the road is from a CityLimits article from 2014 and even then it was touted as the last one.
It’s not a bad looking car and it didn’t seem to make any obscene noises you’d expect from something as cheap sounding as the phrase “Chinese car” would suggest. Although it’s so generic looking I didn’t even notice it as I took a picture earlier that day of a W12 Phaeton in a very odd color combination.
Anyway what are your thoughts?