BYD

The upcoming BYD e2 electric hatchback – set to be unveiled at this week's Shanghai motor show – will cost "well below $35,000" in Australia, according to a spokesperson for the local importer Nexport. This should comfortably make it the nation’s cheapest electric car by some margin, when it comes onto the local market later this year. For reference, the MG ZS EV – which is also built in China – currently holds that distinction with a sticker price of $43,990 drive-away.

Toyota and BYD have formed a joint company tasked with developing battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from the platform-up. It will be based in China and be established in 2020. The joint-venture will be funded on a 50:50 basis by the two, and run by existing staff, mostly engineers, from both parent companies.

The Denza EV concept has made its world premiere at the 2012 Beijing motor show, previewing the first production car developed under the joint venture between German powerhouse Daimler and domestic manufacturer BYD. The Denza EV is the product of around two years of development and more than 200 engineers and experts from the Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology (BDNT) collaboration, which was created in 2010.