The world’s first mass-produced plug-in hybrid automobile ‘Leccy Lizzie F3DM available for purchase in China. Manufactured by BYD Auto, the car is priced at $21,900. The F3DM can drive as far as 100km on electrical power alone. And you only need 1.0 litre gas engine to recharge the batteries to move on, or find the nearest “special charge station”.

It goes without saying that the current number of “special charge stations” hovers around zero, so you’ll want to drive home for a non-gasoline-assisted recharging session. BYU Auto says that a full recharging takes about seven hours. The F3DM charges at 220 volts. There’s no word yet from BYU Auto whether a 120-volt version will be available when the company begins shipping the F3DM to the US in 2010. (No UK plans have yet been announced).

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