Chinese ‘Panda’ Car Goes Electric
The Geely Panda, a tiny Chinese gas-powered car with a 1.3 liter engine that gets 48 mpg, is going to have an electric version available sometime this year. The electric Panda will have an LC-E lithium-ion battery, 340V charge system, max. speed of 40 mph, and a range of 50 miles.
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The gas version costs between 5,000 and 10,000 US dollars, and the electric version will be slightly more. The front of the car is designed to resemble a giant panda.
“New energy vehicles are the future of the automobile industry; nobody can ignore the future. However, the traditional turbo engine is the ‘present’. If we lose the ‘present’, how can we move to the future?” said Zhao Fuquan, vice-president of Geely. Geely is Zhejiang-based, and is privately owned.
Reportedly 1,000 gas Pandas are being purchased every day. The outlook for the electric version should be bright. Geely also plans to produce a number of hybrid vehicles. It is the largest privately owned car maker in China.
Image Credit: tycho.com, auto.sohu.com
The car actually looks like a panda. I was in Beijing this month and was impressed with the amount of electric bikes they have going around.
Electric bike is everywhere in every city in China. It cost around $150 to $250.