VW showcases eco-cars as China's EV market grows

German automaker Volkswagen is displaying three all-electric cars and one hybrid at its week-long 2010 E-workshop in Shanghai, as the automaker stakes a leadership claim on the electric-vehicle industry.

The "Lavida blue-e-motion," one of the three zero-emission models on display, was fully developed by Shanghai Volkswagen and tailored to the needs of Chinese consumers, a Shanghai Volkswagen spokesperson said.

Powered by a lithium-ion battery, the model can travel 130 to 150 kilometers on a single charge. Production of the model will start soon.

The other two all-electric models on display are the "Up! blue-e-motion" and the "Golf blue-e-motion." Production of the "Golf blue-e-motion" will begin in 2013.

The "Touareg Hybrid" is representing Volkswagen's hybrid cars at the workshop.

Volkswagen's 2010 E-workshop ends Monday.

As the world's biggest auto market, China attaches great importance to the development of environmentally-friendly cars.

China said earlier this month it will subsidize all-electric vehicle purchases with a subsidy of up to 60,000 yuan (8,784 U.S. dollars) in the five cities chosen for its green-car subsidy program - Shanghai, Changchun, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Hefei.

Buyers of plug-in hybrid cars will receive a subsidy of up to 50,000 yuan.