BYD’s new Defender-like SUV breaks cover for the first time

This is a car story, not a home energy story, so there's not much here that touches your house directly. BYD, the Chinese automaker, is testing a new SUV called the Tai 6, a smaller and cheaper version of its boxy, Land Rover Defender-style Ti 7. Photos of the disguised prototype have surfaced, showing new headlights and a roof-mounted LiDAR sensor. It's expected to seat five, unlike the seven-seat Ti 7.

No official pricing has been announced, but based on the Ti 7's starting price of 179,800 yuan (about $26,500) in China, the Tai 6 is expected to start closer to 150,000 yuan (about $22,000). The Ti 7 itself is sold in China as both a fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle. In the UK, it's offered only as a plug-in hybrid, with up to 74 miles of electric-only range on the highway test cycle and up to 102 miles in city driving, powered by a 35.6 kWh battery paired with three electric motors and a small gas engine.

For comparison, the UK version of the Ti 7 starts at £47,995 (about $65,000), notably less than the plug-in Land Rover Defender 110, which starts at £71,840 (about $97,000) and offers less electric range. None of this affects home energy upgrades or rebates, but if you're weighing an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle alongside home electrification plans, it's a sign more affordable options may be coming.