The largest car manufacturer in China, SAIC Motor, has announced plans to launch a series of hybrid and electric cars by 2012.
The project will roll into action from 2010 with the introduction of a hybrid Roewe 750 with fuel efficiency that has been improved by 20 per cent compared to the existing non-green car model. Another plug-in version of the car, which could slash fuel emissions by around 50 per cent, is also due to enter the market in 2012.
SAIC’s development of green cars, which have been dubbed “new energy vehicles”, comes through a partnership with General Motors (GM) and Volkswagen (VW). Its investment on this category of alternative cars will rise to nearly $900million due to its focus on hybrid cars and electric cars.
Though the infrastructure is not currently in place in China, the country has made a heavy investment in the future of green cars and new transportation technologies. It wants around 60,000 green cars on the country’s roads by 2012 with SAIC having reportedly agreed a deal with the Shanghai city government to provide around 1,000 new energy vehicles for the 2010 World Expo.
This isn’t SAIC’s first effort in the green car market either – it has already released a VW Passat Lingyu and a hybrid Buick LaCrosse.
