China plans first hybrid car by 2010, Touron hybrid cars for 2008 Olympics

China wants to avoid the pollution and oil problems before its too late; plans own hybrid cars in collaboration with Volkswagen.

15 February 2006
MUMBAI, INDIA

China is expected to see its first hybrid car by the year 2010. Combating high levels of pollution as well as an economy getting adversely hit by rising fuel expenditures, China will be hoping that the Shanghai Automotive and Volkswagen partnership will be able to start production by year 2008.

According to the Xinhua news agency reports, low-emission hybrids are part of China's 11th 5-year plan which will look to advance technology and environmental protection. In Wuhan, China, 20 hybrid-electric buses are already in operation. With rising demand for cars, the world's seventh largest economy has also become the world's second largest oil consumer after the US.

The joint venture is looking to construct 500 hybrid Touran cars to be used as people carriers during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Shanghai Auto has confirmed that they expect that large-scale production will start before the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. The company has also said that Shanghai Auto will be working on hybrid technology with
General Motors Corp.

Hybrid cars will provide some relief as they burn less fuel. The addition of one or more electric motors to the standard petrol or diesel engine allows the vehicle to be powered by batteries. Batteries can recharge by using the energy produced during braking. Currently, Toyota's Prius, launched in 1997, is the most popular hybrid. In September last year, Toyota had said it would be building the Prius hybrid sedans in China with FAW Group to promote the vehicles. However, the Prius in China will be priced much more than it costs in USA, making some wonder how many would be solved in a country where income levels are nowhere near American standards.

Beijing has committed itself to research into hybrids and other alternative powertrain, as well as fuel-cell vehicles in order to raise the average fuel efficiency by 15% by 2010, from its 2003 levels.

Electricty-fuel mix cars are already in production among several Chinese manufacturers, and hyrbid buses are already on the assembly line in China. Despite taking huge strides in the production of environmental friendly automobiles, there is concern that the rate of
development of hybrid cars falls well behind Western standards. However, Chinese auto manufacturers like Dongfeng Motor Corporation, the China FAW Group Corporation and the Chery Auto Company have agreed to build the hybrid cars, which run on a mixture of electricity and fuel.