China's battery and electric car producer BYD Co said yesterday that it would invest 1.5 billion yuan ($219.71 million) to build China's largest vehicle testing center, in a bid to strengthen its research and development capability as well as to enhance the quality of its offerings.

The center in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, which will include an auto parts production base as well, is scheduled to begin operations before 2012. Upon completion, the output value of the center is expected to exceed 1 billion yuan.

According to BYD, the testing center, the largest in the country, will help it break into the top ranks of the global automobile industry in terms of R D capability and vehicle quality control.

The Warren Buffett-backed automaker currently has a nationwide quality control and R D system, including vehicle inspection lines, at its manufacturing bases in Xi'an and Shenzhen; a vehicle crash testing lab in Shanghai and an R D center at its headquarters in Shenzhen.