Geely to mass-produce methanol cars this year

SHANGHAI, China — Zhejiang Geely Holdings Group said it will start mass-producing methanol-powered vehicles by the end of the year. Geely is the latest in a line of Chinese carmakers starting to manufacture new energy-saving cars, which are expected to account for 10 percent of total production in China within five years.

The privately owned carmaker plans to launch a dual-fuel version of its Maple Haifeng sedan by the end of 2008. Driven by either pure methanol or gasoline, the car is able to trim energy consumption by more than 40 percent compared with conventional models. The Haifeng is powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine rated at 75 horsepower.

Geely has launched a series of dual-fuel vehicles this year to meet government requirements to speed up the development of cleaner, more efficient vehicles. Its green fleets will also include a model that uses natural gas and a unique hybrid system, which could cut fuel consumption by more than 50 percent.

The new technologies will be used in Geely's mainstream models such as the Vision, Free Cruiser and King Kong sedans.

Geely's alternative-energy-vehicle blueprint calls for the development of five hybrid sedans, as well as pure electric and hydrogen vehicles, according to Chairman Li Shufu.

Wan Gang, minister of science and technology, said the production of alternatively fueled vehicles in China will total 10,000 units by 2010. Fuel-efficient and new-energy vehicles will account for 10 percent of the total vehicle production nationwide by 2012.

Shanghai GM's Buick LaCrosse Hybrid sedan, Toyota's Prius and Chang'an's Jiexun sedan are the three China-made clean-energy vehicles available in the market.

Shanghai Automotive, the nation's biggest carmaker, aims to boost annual output of new-energy vehicles to 50,000 units by 2010. The automaker also plans to manufacture 1,000 hydrogen vehicles during the same period.

China appears to be moving more rapidly toward hydrogen and other clean-vehicle solutions than North America or Europe.