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 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
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 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
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
July 28, 2009
BYD to Issue Shares, Expand Production
Lithium battery maker and EV upstart BYD (part owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway) has filed to issue shares on the ShenZhen Stock Exchange and has major plans for expansion. The company says it will up production of autos by 75% in a year to around 700,000 units. BYD recently acquired a minibus maker, Hunan Midea Coach, and has an agreement for a factory in Xi'An.....
Labels: BYD, chinese autos, electric cars, Warren Buffet
July 01, 2009
China Leads World in EV Production, Infrastructure
According to some new reports, China containes 90% of the world's electric vehicles - including electric bikes. Beijing claims China is the global leader in exported electric vehicles and a report by an American cleantech research firm says China will be the world leader in charging stations by 2015....
Labels: chinese autos, electric cars, peak oil
June 04, 2009
Chinese Electric Cars Coming To California
Coda Automotive, a startup out of Santa Monica, California, will introduce an all-electric sedan this year with possible imports beginning second Half of 2010. The car itself is by Harbin, Heilongjiang, based Hafei Automobile - part of the giant AVIC conglomerate - and the lithium battery is by Tianjin Lishen Battery, a domestically listed company. The car body and interior appears to be a much improved version of Hafei's Saibao III or V sedan. Coda Automotive will first offer the car in California only but envisions 20,000 or more in production with nationwide sales....
Labels: chinese autos, electric cars
May 05, 2009
UAW Says GM Offshoring to China where Sales Up 50%
In a letter to US Senators UAW lawyer Alan Reuther claims the GM restructuring plan will offshore car production to China as well as Mexico, Japan and Korea, the equivalent of a plant in each country. As reported here recently, GM may already be planning an 8th factory in China. From the beginning GM said its long anticipated electric car, the Chevy Volt, would be in global production. GM has said the Volt would be on sale in China not longer after its debut in America next year. China is GM's fastest growing market and GM sales there were up 50% last month. Labor leaders and GM resume talks on May 7...
Labels: electric cars, gm
April 13, 2009
BYD, Buffett, and Electric Cars
February 20, 2009
Chery Reveals Plug-In Electric Car
Privately owned Chinese auto giant Chery announced that it is producing an all-electric car, the S18, that can go twice the anticipated range of GM's delayed Chevy Volt. Unlike BYD Auto's electric, currently on sale in China, Chery's car is not a gas (petrol) hybrid...
Labels: BYD, chery, chevy volt, chinese autos, electric cars
January 12, 2009
Chinese Electric Cars in US by 2011
The BYD company, part owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire Hathaway, plans to export its electric and hybrid cars to the USA by 2011 according to company sources reporting from the Detroit Auto Show...
Labels: BYD, chinese autos, electric cars, free trade
January 09, 2009
Chinese Plug-In EV at Detroit Auto Show
Chinese battery and auto maker BYD will show its plug-in electric car at the Detroit Auto Show, Motor Trend mag reports. BYD hopes to sell the car in Europe by 2010. Meanwhile, GM has pushed the arrival of the Chevy Volt to late 2010...
Labels: chevy volt, chinese autos, electric cars, gm
December 15, 2008
Made in China: World's First Mass Produced Plug-In Hybrid
The Chinese BYD firm, part owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, unveiled the F3DM in ShenZhen today. Target market currently is fleet purchases by 14 Chinese cities. The car has not yet met the requirements for the highly protected USA auto market but the F3 could appear by 2010 around the same time GM plans to roll-out the electric Chevy Volt.
Labels: chevy volt, chinese autos, electric cars, Warren Buffet
September 19, 2008
At 100 GM Turns Chinese
General Motors (GM) celebrated its 100th birthday today 100 floors above Shanghai announcing the groundbreaking of its quarter billion dollar R&D and Asia-Pacific headquarters Shanghai facility and that GM's long anticipated electric vehicle the Chevy Volt will go on sale in China by 2011.
Labels: automobiles, chevy volt, china, electric cars, gm, trade
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