Chinese atuo manufacturer Beyond Your Dreams (BYD) announced at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit that is it currently working on developing a pure electric vehicle that will offer impressive range.

The announcement was made following news that BYD has developed a plug-in gasoline-electric hybrid which is already on the road in China.

Called the e6, this stylish people-mover will be offered in four different power combinations with output ranging from 101hp to 269hp.

With a zero too 60 mph time of 8 seconds, the acceleration of the e6 is certainly healthy.

Even more impressive is BYD’s claim that the e6 will be able to achieve 249 miles on a single charge.

BYD’s claims may seem far fetched but the Chinese auto manufacturer has already beat automotive powerhouses like Toyota and General Motors to market with two plug-in gas electric bybrids (the F3DM and F6DM) which are currently on sale in China.

The manufacturer recently made news when it announced that Warren Buffet and MidAmerican Energy Holdings had invested $230 million for a 10 percent stake in the company. The money which will be used to continue the company’s expansion and the development of its e6 electric vehicle.

Both the F3DM and F6DM can travel 62 miles using a zero-emission electric engine. After that point a 1.0-liter gasoline engine will kick in to power the electric engine and charge the batteries. BYD claims the vehicles can be recharged in a standard outlet in seven hours but can also receive a half charge in just 10 minutes. Total range of the vehicles is 267 miles.

Performance is hardly astounding but these are hybrids after all. With the same engine both models have an output of 168hp and 265 ft-lbs of torque. The F3DM can hit 62 mph in 10.5 seconds and the larger F6DM can hit the same speed in 13.5 seconds.

The “DM” in F3DM and F6DM stands for dual mode, as BYD’s hybrids are able to run as both zero-emissions electric vehicles and as conventional hybrids.