BYD Motors sneaks on to American market, could make US debut official by year's end

We've heard rumblings of BYD coming to America before, but it seems it won't be making a big deal of its Stateside entrée -- at least not yet. According to the Los Angeles Times, China's sixth-largest car maker is quietly making its presence known in the US, occupying the offices of Cars 911 -- a dealership in Glendale, CA -- and solidifying plans to open 10 American dealerships by the end of 2011. BYD is also in the process of building its US headquarters in downtown LA, and has been servicing a fleet of its F3DM hybrids, leased to the city's housing authority, from the Cars 911 lot. BYD's e6, which is slated as a Leaf competitor, is suspected to appear on the American market, alongside the F3DM, by year's end. Considering the Leaf's recent woes, this might be just the right time for BYD to strike.