On the GreenBeat: Buffet’s BYD nixes electric sedan in China, A132 exec joins Digital Lumens

Here’s some of the latest action we’re following on the GreenBeat today:

BYD reportedly cancels electric car — The Warren Buffet-backed Chinese automaker saw lukewarm sales of its plug-in hybrid, Autoblog Green reports, selling just over 100 F3DMs (pictured) in the first year of production — well shy of the its goal of 10,000. Lack of charging infrastructure fueled the weak sales, Gasgoo writes, leading BYD to cancel plans for the all-electric F3e sedan.

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U.S. could gain $342 billion in clean energy investment by 2020— A new report by Pew Charitable Trust estimates the global clean energy investments to be worth $2.3 trillion by 2020 if G-20 members adopt aggressive clean energy policies. Under such conditions, the investment in the U.S. alone would more than double. In the absence of those policies, only $1.7 trillion would be invested worldwide.

Ethanol subsidies could get reprieve — An extension of tax credits for domestic-made ethanol is in the works as part of tax cut legislation being hammered out in Congress, Reuters reports. The credits are set to expire at the end of this year, and ethanol producers have been bracing for cuts.

China’s solar dominance could be U.S. opportunity — Though China is currently outpacing most in the renewables and solar race, there are still opportunities for the U.S. to win off Chinese solar activity, Forbes writes. The article points out that Chinese panel producer Suntech recently began manufacturing in Arizona. And another company, Innovalight, has done well by marketing its solar panel efficiency ink to Chinese panel manufacturers.

LS9 names a new CEO — Renewable fuels and chemicals startup LS9 named Ed Dineen as its new chief executive. Dineen was previously COO at LyondellBasell Industries, a top petrochemical company.

Digital Lumens nabs A123 executive — The LED company has hired new CFO Mike Rubino, previously the CFO at battery startup A123 Systems, which IPO’d this year. The low-energy LED lighting and networked lighting business is posed to be worth a $1 billion market by 2014, according to a recent report by GTM Research and Groom Energy.

[Image via Autoblog Green]