Shanghai November 8 (Gasgoo.com) Volkswagen AG will start testing its electric car, the Golf "blue-e-motion," in China in 2011 and likely put it on the Chinese market in 2014, its President and CEO Nikai Ming said yesterday at the 25th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition in Shenzhen, National Business Daily reported Monday.
The German automaker will first launch its e-Golf, a full-electric version of its current all-new Golf hatchback, in the domestic market in 2013, Nikai Ming revealed.
Volkswagen showcased two of its electric vehicles at the Exposition: the e-Golf and e-Lavida. The e-Golf is powered by a 26.5 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack delivering 85 horsepower, and can travel up to 150 km (93 miles) on a single charge. That would be enough for most people's daily commute. The e-Lavida has quite similar configuration with the e-Golf.
Part of Volkswagen's customers in China will receive the e-Golf next year as a roadmap for the car has been initiated. The automaker's two Chinese ventures -FAW Volkswagenand Shanghai Volkswagen- hope to jointly promote the car in the country, aiming to achieve marketization after 2018 and increase sales to more than 100,000 units, Nikai Ming said, adding that the e-Golf is also likely to be put into local production in 2014.
Asked why the e-Golf won't be launched until three years later, Nikai Ming explained it is mainly due to cost pressure on electric power transmission system and battery system, while saying that Volkswagen is still confident about the future of electric vehicles and will provide affordable electric vehicles with innovative technologies to customers as soon as possible.
