History & General Information

About BYD

BYD, which stands for Build Your Dreams, was founded in 1995 in Shenzhen, China, by Wang Chuanfu. The company began as a rechargeable battery manufacturer and rapidly became one of the world's largest producers of lithium-ion and iron-phosphate batteries. In 2003 BYD expanded into the automotive industry, and by the late 2000s had committed heavily to electric vehicle development. In 2008, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway acquired a stake in the company, a widely noted vote of confidence in BYD's technology and direction.

The BYD e6

The BYD e6 was BYD's first fully electric passenger car, and it was no accident that the company chose a taxi as its proving ground. BYD's strategy was deliberate: rather than launching an electric vehicle into the consumer market and hoping for the best, they set out to build something that could survive the most demanding real-world conditions possible: operating all day, every day, year after year, with a practical range of around 300 km per charge. If the technology could hold up under the punishing schedules of a commercial taxi fleet, it would prove itself fit for anything.

BYD e6 on display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show — The BYD e6 making its public debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, BYD's announcement to the world that it was serious about electric vehicles.

First shown publicly at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, the e6 was deployed in its thousands as a taxi in Shenzhen, China. The results validated BYD's approach: the vehicles accumulated enormous mileage with the lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery chemistry demonstrating exceptional thermal stability, longevity, and safety under sustained heavy use. This real-world fleet data became the foundation of BYD's broader electric vehicle programme.

BYD e6 taxi in Shenzhen, China, in blue and white fleet livery — A BYD e6 still in service as a taxi in Shenzhen, China, in 2024, in the city where thousands of e6s were deployed as part of the world's largest electric taxi fleet.

The vehicles found in New Zealand and Australia span the 2014 to 2020 model years. Earlier examples (2014–2015) were fitted with a 61 kWh iron-phosphate battery pack, while the updated 2016–2020 models received a larger 82 kWh pack, extending the range to approximately 400 km. A further significant change came in January 2017, when BYD switched from an air-cooled to a liquid-cooled battery thermal management system, improving performance and longevity in demanding conditions. Both the 61 kWh and 82 kWh generations use a front-mounted three-phase AC permanent magnet motor producing approximately 90 kW and 450 Nm of torque, and share the same core LiFePO4 chemistry, known for its thermal stability, long cycle life, and inherent safety characteristics. BYD backed the Singapore-specification vehicles with a battery warranty of 10 years or 500,000 km, a figure that reflected considerable confidence in the chemistry under sustained commercial operation. This site covers all variants, as owners across the model range will find much of the technical information relevant.

Honda Odyssey Roots

The e6 is believed to be loosely based on the first-generation Honda Odyssey (RA1), sharing similarities in suspension design and overall vehicle architecture. It is widely believed within the community that BYD purchased the tooling and intellectual property for the RA1 platform from Honda, and a number of components are common between the two vehicles.

A Disappearing Car

Despite being BYD's first electric vehicle and one of the most significant EVs in automotive history, the e6 faces an unusual fate in China. Under Chinese regulations, vehicles used in commercial fleet operation (including taxis) are classified as commercial vehicles and are typically retired and recycled after around seven years of service. With the bulk of the Chinese e6 fleet having operated through the 2010s, the vast majority of these vehicles have already been, or will soon be, taken off the road and scrapped. The e6 that proved the viability of electric vehicles at scale is quietly disappearing from the country where it made its name.

Internationally, the picture is similarly stark. Although the number of right-hand drive e6s produced is unknown, it was significantly fewer than its left-hand drive counterparts, with the majority going to Singapore and a small number exported to the United Kingdom. Of the UK cars, just two are believed to remain on the road today. This makes the right-hand-drive BYD e6 one of the rarest electric vehicles in existence, and the cars in New Zealand and Australia represent a significant portion of the surviving global population.

BYD e6 vehicles awaiting recycling in Shenzhen, China — BYD e6 vehicles awaiting recycling in Shenzhen. Under Chinese commercial vehicle regulations, the vast majority of the Chinese e6 fleet has already been retired and scrapped.

The e6 in New Zealand

The Generation 1 BYD e6 arrived in New Zealand in two distinct waves, with no official dealership network involved in either. All vehicles were imported by specialist importers sourcing ex-fleet stock directly.

The first wave, arriving around 2021, comprised approximately six of the earlier 61 kWh cars (2014–2015 models). These vehicles came from Singapore, where they had operated as Grab cars (Singapore's equivalent of Uber) before being retired from the ride-share fleet.

BYD e6 in Grab ride-share livery in Singapore — A BYD e6 in Grab livery in Singapore. The first e6s to reach New Zealand came directly from this fleet.

The second and larger wave brought approximately 60 of the later 82 kWh cars into the country between 2022 and 2026. These vehicles originated from a liquidated taxi company and represented the bulk of the e6s now on New Zealand roads. The absence of an official importer or dealer network makes independent technical knowledge, parts access, and community support especially important for local owners, which is the purpose of this site.

BYD e6 HDT in Singapore taxi livery — The BYD e6 HDT (Holding Dreams Together), the Singapore taxi specification of the e6, and the variant that makes up virtually all of the cars now in New Zealand and Australia.

The e6 in Australia

The e6s that came to Australia have an unusual history. The vehicles were originally destined for Singapore, though it is unclear whether they ever arrived there, and they were never registered in Singapore before being acquired by Nexport, an Australian electric vehicle importer, with the intention of deploying them as a commercial taxi fleet.

Those plans did not proceed, and the approximately 120 vehicles spent a period of roughly a year in storage before being sold through Eveen, reaching private buyers and a small community of Australian owners. As with New Zealand, there was no official dealership or support network, making community knowledge-sharing around parts, servicing, and battery maintenance especially valuable.

Both the New Zealand and Australian cars arrived in their original Singapore fleet livery: a white roof over a green body. Many owners have since had their vehicles resprayed, but this colour scheme remains a common sight and a recognisable part of the e6's identity in this part of the world.

The Community

The BYD e6 in New Zealand and Australia is now supported by a small but enthusiastic owner community spanning both countries. Members share technical knowledge, help source parts, and support each other through the practical challenges of running a vehicle with no official dealer network. The primary gathering point is the BYD E6 Owners Australia & New Zealand Facebook group, which is the best place to connect with other owners and get hands-on advice.

BYD E6 Owners Australia & New Zealand on Facebook