BYD on Thursday revealed plans to launch an electric shooting brake in July or August that will compete against luxurious offerings from German majors such as the BMW 5-series, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi’s A8 saloon. The Denza Z9 GT will feature an innovative electric drive system using three separate motors, among other new technologies, BYD chairman Wang Chuanfu told investors during the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Shenzhen, as reported by Shanghai Securities News. China’s biggest electric vehicle maker first showcased the Panamera-like model at the recent Beijing Auto Show in April, with the vehicle boasting a combined output of nearly 1,000 horsepower and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) within three seconds. BYD currently has three Denza models on sale and delivered 47,388 vehicles under the mainstream luxury brand for the first five months of this year, representing a 3.7% growth from last year and of which most were its multi-purpose van the D9. The automaker plans to launch three new models in the lineup in the second half of this year with an annual delivery target of 200,000 units, Zhao Changjiang, general manager of the Denza unit, told Chinese reporters in February. [Shanghai Securities News, in Chinese, TechNode reporting]
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