BYD’s latest flagship SUV received over 12,000 orders within 1 day after its launch

This one's about a car launch in China, not a home upgrade, so it won't affect your house or any rebate program. Still, here's what happened: BYD's new flagship SUV, the Sealion 08, brought in more than 12,000 orders in its first 24 hours on sale. It launched September 2 with a starting price around $34,000, in both fully electric and plug-in hybrid versions.

The electric version uses BYD's newest battery and fast-charging technology, letting it go from 10% to 70% charge in five minutes, with a full charge taking about nine minutes. Range runs up to 599 miles on the rear-wheel-drive electric model, or up to 248 miles on electric power alone for the plug-in hybrid, which can go over 1,000 miles total combining gas and electric. The SUV comes loaded with extras like a built-in refrigerator, a large sound system, multiple screens including one that drops from the roof, and driver-assistance features.

For comparison, BYD's other flagship SUV, the Great Tang, pulled in over 30,000 orders in its first day earlier this year, so the Sealion 08's numbers are strong but not a record for the company. None of this ties to any US energy-efficiency program or rebate, and BYD vehicles are not sold in the US market, so this is simply a look at how competitive China's EV market has become.