China auto industry urged to make new-energy vehicles

Shanghai, June 23 (Gasgoo.com) To address the tremendous challenges of energy crisis and environmental protection, the technological revolution in the automotive power system has become the focus and key issue of auto technology development, experts said recently. The hybrid vehicles are transforming the global auto industry, and the development of new energy vehicles has posed both opportunities and challenges to China's auto industry.

Some own-brand carmakers in China have jointed the ranks of new-energy vehicle developers and have made remarkable breakthroughs in energy-efficiency and environmental technologies. Chery Auto's BSG hybrid sedan has been sold to taxi companies and is exploring larger market, Changan Auto's hybrid Jiexun-HEV sedan has rolled off the lines, and Geely Auto is developing an all-new electric-gasoline hybrid power technology which is expected to be used in its products by early 2009.

To develop new-energy vehicles is a must for China's auto industry because the oil consumption by the country's growing number of cars is increasing by 12% annually. Industry experts said that China should commercialize new-energy vehicles widely as soon as possible, first focused on the urban buses. They new-energy vehicles could include those powered by alternative liquid fuels, hybrid energy, natural gas, all-new fuel cells and electricity. The purely electric mini-car will be a popular vehicle model in future. 

Chinese carmakers are not lagging far behind their foreign big-brand counterparts in developing new-energy vehicles. The auto industry of the country is urged by the government to seize the opportunities and manage to occupy the heights in the global auto industry in the near future.