BYD shares first official images of its ultra-affordable Yuan Up SUV
Just over a week after initially teasing a new compact SUV called the Yuan Up, Build Your Dreams (BYD) has posted several of the first official images of the new EV’s exterior. Expected to arrive priced in a range between $14,000-$20,000, the BYD Yuan Up has the making to be an ultra-affordable model in China, which could very well make its way over to other markets.
Despite snagging the EV sales crown from longtime leader Tesla in 2023, BYD remains a relatively unknown brand outside China. The auto conglomerate knows it has an image problem in Europe and North America and is trying to shift the narrative by exporting more enticing models to new markets.
With Hungary seemingly set as its future home to EV production for the European market, BYD appears determined to break through the ceiling into the executive suite currently occupied by legacy EU automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen while remaining price competitive with is easily its most prominent foe, Tesla.
Through its expansion efforts, BYD expects to garner at least $4 billion in net income this year and will lean heavily on a fresh lineup of EVs in markets worldwide, including Japan and Europe. One of those EVs BYD hopes will help get it to its target is the Yuan Up SUV – the first A0-class SUV on its e-Platform 3.0, which debuted in 2021 and supports other EVs under the brand, like the Dolphin.
In January, BYD posted a shadowy teaser image of the Yuan Up SUV, joining the Yuan Pro and Yuan Plus, also known as the Atto 3 in Europe. Today, the Chinese automaker has turned up the lighting and posted six additional images of the upcoming compact SUV – showcasing a rugged yet relatively straightforward exterior. Have a look.
BYD offers complete look at its new Yuan Up compact SUV
BYD posted the images above to its Weibo page earlier today with the following caption (translated from Chinese):
Both cute and cool, the attention-grabbing A0 Yuan friend Up is full of youth and vitality!
Cute and cool to some, adequate and likely affordable to most, the Yuan Up features traditional SUV design elements in a compact footprint native to the A0 class. A0 generally refers to a wheelbase length between 2.2 and 2.5 meters (7.2-8.2 feet), and the Yuan Up should fit that category.
Although BYD has yet to disclose the dimensions of the new Yuan SUV, a regulatory filing in China stated it will arrive 4,310 mm long, 1,830 mm wide, and 1,675 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,620 mm – slightly larger than its Dolphin sibling on the same platform.
The filing also said the BYD Yuan Up will be powered by a single electric motor and will come available in three different versions, all of which will deliver 401 km (249 miles) of range, according to local media reports in China this week.
The reports also state that dealers will pay RMB 120,000 ($16,900), RMB 125,000 ($17,600), and RMB 130,000 ($18,300), respectively, for the three versions of the BYD Yuan SUV. Those dealer prices usually translate to slightly lower MSRPs for consumers once official MSRPs are locked in.
As such, we could see the Yuan Up debut in China for under $16,000 as initially anticipated. There has yet to be a word on where final pricing will land or if BYD plans to bring the new model to other markets outside of Europe, but at that price point, a compact SUV like the Yuan Up could fare well.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $1.2 billion in financing to replace Puerto Rico’s fossil fuel plants with solar and battery storage through 2032.
The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced two conditional commitments and one loan closing to power producers in Puerto Rico. Each supports a project contracted with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The announcements include:
- The closing of a $584.5 million loan guarantee to subsidiaries of Convergent Energy to finance a 100 MW solar farm with a 55 MW (55 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in the municipality of Coamo and BESS installations in the municipalities of Caguas (25MW/100MWh), Peñuelas (100MW/400MWh), and Ponce (up to 100MW/400MWh)
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $133.6 million to a subsidiary of Infinigen for a 32.1 MW solar farm with an integrated 14.45 MW (4.76 MWh) BESS, and a co-located standalone 50 MW (200 MWh) BESS expansion in the municipality of Yabucoa
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $489.4 million to a subsidiary of Pattern Energy for three stand-alone BESS in the municipalities of Arecibo (50 MW/200 MWh), and Santa Isabel (50 MW /200 MWh and 80 MW/320 MW), and a 70 MW solar farm with an integrated BESS in the municipality of Arecibo.
If all are finalized, these projects would more than double LPO’s support for utility-scale solar generation and battery energy storage in Puerto Rico.
LPO provides low-cost financing and a rigorous due diligence process, making it a valuable resource for Puerto Rico as it works to rebuild an affordable, reliable, and clean energy system. As a result of reliance on imported fuel, the persistent threat of tropical storms, and underinvested infrastructure, Puerto Ricans today face average energy costs that are twice the US average – all while consuming only one-quarter of the energy of the US per capita.
LPO’s initial loan to a power producer in Puerto Rico, Project Marahu, closed in October 2024, and when complete will add more than 200 MW of solar and up to 285 MW of stand-alone energy storage to Puerto Rico’s grid.
Through its September 2023 partial loan guarantee to Project Hestia, LPO also supports virtual power plant (VPP)-ready rooftop solar and battery storage installations in Puerto Rico. As a nationwide project, Hestia’s sponsor is committed to at least 20% of installations under Project Hestia going to homeowners in Puerto Rico.
As part of its procurement plan, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority seeks to install 1,500 MW of battery storage and requires a minimum capacity of storage to be co-located with each utility-scale solar project. Energy storage systems currently online in Puerto Rico are being dispatched every day.
When including Marahu, LPO’s closed and conditionally committed financing supports over 100% of the capacity Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority aimed to procure under its initial request for energy storage project proposals, the first of six.
Read more: Cleantech investments to top fossil fuels for the first time in 2025
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Chevy just introduced new deals on the Equinox and Blazer EV models to make them even more affordable. With 0% interest and a new trade-in bonus, Chevy is offering over $5,000 in savings.
Chevy adds new Equinox and Blazer EV deals in January
Although the Chevy Equinox EV is already “the most affordable” EV in its class with over 315 miles range, it’s getting even cheaper.
Earlier this week, Chevy launched new deals on the 2024 Equinox and Blazer EV models. According to a note sent to dealers, viewed by CarsDirect, the electric SUVs are now available with 0% APR financing for 60 months. You can also choose from 0.9% AP for 72 months and 2.9% APR for 84 months.
This marks the best financing offer on Chevy’s newest EVs to date. The previous best rates were 0.9% APR for 60 months, 3.9% for 72 months, and 5.9% for the longer 84-month option.
On a 7-year $45,000 loan, online auto research firm CarsDirect estimates the new deals amount to around a $5,200 price cut. The lower APR rates are already offered on the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup.
In addition, Chevy is offering a trade-in bonus of up to $3,000 on the Silverado EV and $1,000 on the electric Equinox and Blazer models. If you choose to lease, the bonus is cut in half: $1,500 for the Silverado and $500 for the electric SUVs.
Chevy’s new EV deals started on January 14 and run through March 3, 2025. The deals come as rivals like Hyundai and Ford recently launched new EV promotions.
On Thursday, Hyundai launched a new promo on the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which includes monthly leases as low as $199 and a free ChargePoint home EV charger (or $400 charging credit). Meanwhile, Ford extended its “Power Promise” program earlier this month, which also includes a free home charger, among several other benefits.
The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV started at $41,900 with up to 315 miles range. Prices for the electric Chevy Blazer start at $43,690 with up to 279 miles range.
If you are ready to try out Chevy’s new electric SUVs for yourself, we’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to view offers on the Chevy Equinox, Silverado, and Blazer EV models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss non-Tesla EVs getting Supercharger access, Cybertruck sales in the spotlight, Rivian getting some money from Biden, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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