September 28, 2010
Ford to Build New Auto Plant in Chongqing
Ford Motor's Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Corporation joint venture (CFMA) will build a new engine plant in a new deal signed with Chongqing Municipality. The plant will be state of the art and will be financed at a value of half a billion (US) dollars directly from CFMA. When complete in 2013 it will double Ford's production capacity to 400,000 engines per year.
The head of Ford Asia-Pacific Joe Hinrichs told reporters "the growth potential in this part of the world in the next ten years is astounding"....
The head of Ford Asia-Pacific Joe Hinrichs told reporters "the growth potential in this part of the world in the next ten years is astounding"....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos
September 20, 2010
China to Build Car Plants in Philippines
Chinese vehicle makers JAC Motors, Chongqing Astronautic Bashan, and Great Wall Motors Company are planning separate investments in the Philippines to build assembly plants for Chinese trucks and passenger cars. JAC Motors based in Anhui has been exporting vehicles since 1990 and is China's number 1 exporter of light trucks. JAC has an extensive dealership network around the world but so far is kept out of first world markets. This year may be a record for car sales in the Philippines where local production is dominated by Japanese carmakers particularly Toyota. Chinese firms are hoping to carve out market share despite the Philippines's relatively high labor costs and notoriously fickle energy grid...
Labels: chinese autos, exports, foreign investment, foreign trade
September 09, 2010
Chinese Auto Sales Over 1 Million in August
Retail passenger car sales in China soared almost 60% over last year in August. Year-to-date the top auto sellers are the SAIC group (including Shanghai GM now run directly from Shanghai); GM; Dongfeng Motor; Toyota; and Honda.
Ford Motor ranks number 6 but is growing fast including a brand new partnership with Chongqing Changan Auto to build cars for export outside China.
In other auto news Chongqing Changan Auto's joint venture with Peugeot will invest billion$ to produce Citroen's top DS line of small cars and create a new brand for the company....
Ford Motor ranks number 6 but is growing fast including a brand new partnership with Chongqing Changan Auto to build cars for export outside China.
In other auto news Chongqing Changan Auto's joint venture with Peugeot will invest billion$ to produce Citroen's top DS line of small cars and create a new brand for the company....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, gm
March 11, 2010
Will Geely Offshore Volvo?
According to Paul Tan's Automotive News Geely has secured over $2 billion (US dollars) financing to complete its acquisition of Volvo from Ford Motor Company. Billionaire Chairman Li Shufu of Geely, China's biggest privately owned automaker, says the company has regulatory approvals to move forward with the deal. It was lack of Beijing approval that killed the Hummer deal for Sichuan Tengzhong.
At issue now is whether Geely will move Volvo production to China from Sweden. Plans are to double production to 300,000 vehicles per year. It seems highly unlikely Geely would mass produce Volvos in a country with one of the highest labor costs in the world, higher even than the US auto industry....
At issue now is whether Geely will move Volvo production to China from Sweden. Plans are to double production to 300,000 vehicles per year. It seems highly unlikely Geely would mass produce Volvos in a country with one of the highest labor costs in the world, higher even than the US auto industry....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign investment, foreign trade, free trade
March 01, 2010
BYD Auto in EV JV with Daimler
German auto major Daimler AG (parent of Mercedes-Benz and maker of the Smart mini) signed a memorandum of understanding today with ShenZhen based BYD Auto to develop Electric Vehicles (EVs) for the Chinese urban market. The EV will be a new creation with joint branding according to Daimler's press release. Daimler CEO "Dr. Z" Dieter Zetsche describes the deal as a "perfect match." BYD is 10% owned by famed investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway firm - the second largest stock holding in Buffett's portfolio.....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, electric cars, foreign investment
February 11, 2010
Changan Auto Expands Into EV Production
Chongqing Changan Automobile plans to issue new shares valued over half a billion US dollars according to the ShenZhen Stock Exchange. The capital raised will be for new capacity, factory upgrades, and research and development. Changan is China's leader in minivan production, a major component of the fast growing rural car market for public and private fleets. But Changan plans to debut an electric vehicle version of its Zhixiang sedan possibly this year. Today comes news that Korea's LG Chem will supply li-ion lithium batteries to Changan in a new deal....
Labels: batteries, chinese autos, electric cars, foreign trade
December 17, 2009
China Charges Up EV Development with US Firms
New joint ventures with US businesses highlight the growing convergence of the Chinese and US auto industries in electric vehicle (EV) development.
ZAP Hangzhou is California startup ZAP (OTC BB:ZAAP) and the Holley Group of China, the world's largest producer of electric meters. The venture will develop an EV and also charging infrastructure for electric taxis. In 2007 ZAP formed a joint development with US-China JV Advanced Battery Technologies (NASDAQ:ABAT).
Shanghai Advanced Traction Battery is a tie-up between A123 (NASDAQ: AONE) a lithium-ion battery systems maker out of the Boston area and giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. The company will work on battery systems for a SAIC EV to come out in 2012.
Lastly, Geely Holding Group and Johnson Controls will form a cooperation around EVs for Geely Automotive to include auto parts and battery systems according to reports....
Labels: chinese autos, electric cars, foreign investment
December 14, 2009
BAIC to Buy SAAB IP
Reuters reports that Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp. or BAIC will acquire the intellectual property (designs and technology) of the Saab 9-5 and 9-3 series and production equipment for an undisclosed amount. The 9-5 and 9-3 are the latest versions of the Saab sedans which replaced the 900 series vehicles made famous in the '90s by comic Jerry Seinfeld. BAIC has a history going back 25 years of acquiring foreign technology and entering into joint ventures including recent efforts to buy GM's European division Opel....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign trade
December 10, 2009
BYD e6 EV Coming to LA Freeways
Henry Li, a senior director at BYD Auto, said in an interview with Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal that Los Angeles was top of the list for locations in the USA to debut the e6 electric vehicle (EV) next year. BYD (10% owned by famed investor Warren Buffet) has plans to bring the e6 EV to America ahead of competitors.
Called the "Volt Killer" by auto wags, the e6 is a fully electric car. The Chevy Volt, when (if?) it rolls out will be a hybrid.
If selected LA would be lead market for the autos and headquarters for BYD. With domestic EV startups such as Tesla Motors planning assembly in the greater LA region, southern California could propel a renaissance of the auto industry....
Called the "Volt Killer" by auto wags, the e6 is a fully electric car. The Chevy Volt, when (if?) it rolls out will be a hybrid.
If selected LA would be lead market for the autos and headquarters for BYD. With domestic EV startups such as Tesla Motors planning assembly in the greater LA region, southern California could propel a renaissance of the auto industry....
Labels: chinese autos, electric cars, free trade, Warren Buffet
December 04, 2009
GM Turns Chinese, Cedes Control to Shanghai Auto
In Shanghai today GM announced it will cede control of its 12 year old highly successful (and lucrative) joint venture with Shanghai Automotive group to its Chinese partner SAIC Motor Corp. With a controlling interest of 51% SAIC Motor will be able to run Shanghai GM independent of Detroit. Further, a new joint venture will be formed in Hong Kong called General Motors SAIC Investment Ltd. to expand into India and carve market share in the subcontinent for the Wuling microvan and other products....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign investment, foreign trade, gm, india
November 25, 2009
Reunification Watch: Chinese Carmakers to Revive Taiwan Auto Industry
Auto associations from China and Taiwan met in Taipei this week and agreed to cooperate in enhancing Taiwan's lagging auto industry. Private automaker Chery Automobile is already producing its A3 sedan in Taiwan and plans to introduce the larger A5 and A6 soon. Chery wants to work with Taiwan carmaker Auto21 according to reports. Yulon Motor, one of Taiwan's top automakers, signed an agreement this month with Geely Automotive to develop an economy car next year.
Taiwan's auto industry is dominated by a few firms, including Yulon, that are all part owned by Japanese auto majors including a tie-up with Ford/Mazda. While Taiwan carmakers excel at parts production the domestic industry suffers from declining sales and a saturated domestic market. The Chinese joint ventures will be aimed at exporting back to the mainland and also exporting from Taiwan to foreign markets.....
Taiwan's auto industry is dominated by a few firms, including Yulon, that are all part owned by Japanese auto majors including a tie-up with Ford/Mazda. While Taiwan carmakers excel at parts production the domestic industry suffers from declining sales and a saturated domestic market. The Chinese joint ventures will be aimed at exporting back to the mainland and also exporting from Taiwan to foreign markets.....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, reunification, taiwan
November 23, 2009
Dongfeng Motors in Serbia Venture as Guangzhou Auto Show Opens
Chinese car makers continue their rise with new international joint ventures and the opening of the Guangzhou Auto Show. Dongfeng Motors will partner with Serbian truck maker FAP to upgrade a plant outside Belgrade and assemble Dongfeng trucks from kits but eventually leading to fabrication of 50% of components so the venture can export in anticipation of Serbia joining the EU. Dongfeng Motor, Nissan, and the provinical government of Guangdong Province, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop an EV (electric vehicle) industry. Nissan will launch a Chinese made EV in Wuhan in 2011 and by that time have a charge network in place and the groundwork laid for mass production of EVs in China.
The Guangzhou Auto Show opened today with the world premiere of the Lexus GX460 and GM SLS extended sedan. Domestic car makers including EV company BYD are showing several new models and the event is expected to attract half a million visitors.....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, electric cars, foreign investment, gm
October 28, 2009
Ford Picks Geely for Volvo Acquisition
Ford and Geely (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group) are jointly announcing that they are in direct talks for Geely to acquire Volvo. According to Ford a final decision has not been made but the two are in "detailed and focused negotiations" while Geely says it is Ford's "preferred bidder" for the famed Swedish automaker. If the deal moves forward Volvo will keep an independent management based in Sweden and be tied into Geely's supply chain and sales networks. Ultimately Geely may use the Volvo brand to become a potentially powerful exporter of automobiles....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign investment, free trade
October 19, 2009
Ten Million Vehicles
China has joined auto king USA and runner up Japan as only the third nation to produce 10 million vehicles per year. With two full months left to go in 2009, the 10 millionth vehicle produced was a Liberation brand truck made by the First Automobile Works (now called FAW Group) at one its main factories in Changchun, capital of Jilin Province in Manchuria - a center of auto production dating back to 1953. FAW has numerous joint ventures today and makes vehicles of several international brands...
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, industrial
Chinese EV Buses on DC streets
This Wednesday (October 21) a US-China joint venture will shuttle passengers around American University in Washington, DC, on ultracapacitor buses. Ultracapacitor batteries hold only a fraction of the energy of lithium-ion batteries but charge rapidly. Buses on inner city routes that stop frequently and often wait at bus stops regularly if briefly can use ultracapacitor technology effectively. A route in Shanghai has used ultracapacitor electric buses now for the past 3 years using bus stops as recharge stations. The demonstration is conducted by Sinautec Automobile Technologies and Shanghai Aowei Technology Development. The buses produced to date are actually made in Tennessee by Foton America Bus Company, a Chinese venture....
Labels: chinese autos, free trade, green energy, high-tech
October 02, 2009
US-China Electric Vehicle Forum
A brief and practically unreported conference ended earlier this week in Beijing. Dubbed the US-China Electric Vehicle Forum it brought together scientists and government officials from both countries to discuss collaboration towards electric vehicles or EVs. David Sandalow, assistant Energy Secretary for the USA told American reporters after the meeting "the Chinese are well positioned to be global leaders in the electric vehicle industry" and warned that America needed to invest heavily in new technology. Chinese carmaker BYD, the darling of famed American investor Warren Buffett, is already well on its way to mass producing a line of EVs. But Jody Freeman, an adivsor to the White House on energy and climate change matters, stressed that the USA and should work together.
Meanwhile the executive over GM's Chevrolet Volt program, Bob Kruse, is leaving GM. The Chevrolet Volt, meant to the be the savior of GM and the first mass produced EV in the USA will be a hybrid and its release date has been pushed now to December 2010....
Labels: chinese autos, electric cars, foreign relations, gm
September 22, 2009
Ford to Build Greenfield Auto Plant in ChongQing
Not to be left out in GM's race to become Chinese, Ford will break ground on a brand new third auto plant in its partnership with Chongqing Chang'An Auto and Mazda. Ford sold over 300,000 cars in China last year but the new plant will have an additional 150,000 cars per year capacity when complete. The facility will be in Chongqing Municipality and a groundbreaking ceremony is planned for Friday and will include top Ford executives. Ford Focus is rapidly gaining acceptance in China and sales of the sedan were up 58% this year....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign investment
September 17, 2009
Will California Make Chinese Cars?
Alameda County, California, supervisors arranged a visit this week by an unnamed Chinese delegation to the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc., (NUMMI) plant in silicon valley. The plant currently produces Toyota Camrys Corollas and Tacomas but will shut down in March, closing the last of California's auto manufacturing businesses. Toyota is pulling out since its partner GM quit the joint venture earlier this year. No details are given of the Chinese visit but word from the county is that other delegations are planned including a group from Korea. The NUMMI plant began as a GM factory but closed in 1982 only to reopen in 1984 when the partnership with Toyota was formed.
Meanwhile Chinese auto companies continue to entertain overseas expansion with news that Geely may bid for Volvo and be in talks with Magna to jointly run GM's European division, Opel. And Beijing Automotive (which unsuccessfully bid on Opel) is now interested in Saab.....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, foreign investment, gm
August 25, 2009
Will GM Sell GM China for Opel?
The GM board rejected the latest deal of the Opel sale to the Magna offeror much to Berlin's chagrin. Now it appears all parties are back in negotiations but rumours are rife that GM may actually try to keep Opel and raise cash by leveraging or even selling its assets in China. The recent round of manager shuffling at GM China certainly leads one to believe that direction of GM's most profitable and important component is unclear. Despite the drama in the executive suites, GM China continues to advance. Only 2 weeks ago GM celebrated its one millionth vehicle sale in China....
Labels: automobiles, chinese autos, gm
August 24, 2009
BYD Auto e6 EV Coming to US
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the chairman of BYD group (part owned by Warren Buffet) says the company will bring the electric vehicle (EV) sedan, the e6, to the USA in 2010. The first production run will be limited and the car will retail around $40,000 (US dollars) with a range of 249 miles/day....
Labels: BYD, chinese autos, electric cars, Warren Buffet
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