Gas 2.0

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp (BAIC) has unveiled a new electric car, the BE701, in a bid to challenge domestic rivals BYD and Chery for a slice of the Chinese zero-emissions market.

The BE701, (catchy name or what?), is loosely modelled on the sedan concept showcased at last year’s Beijing motor show (above), although a rare image of the final product proves that it looks a lot less stylish in reality. The car can travel up to 200 kms (124 miles) on a full charge, and tops out at a highly competitive maximum speed of 160 km/h (100mph).

The company, which partners german car-giant Daimler AG, has not yet revealed a mass-production schedule for the BE701, but has unveiled details of its spanking new clean energy vehicle development and manufacturing facility, involving a total investment of 2.28 billion yuan ($334 million).

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According to reports, the facility, based in the outskirts of Beijing, will be capable of producing some 50,000 electric vehicles and 100,000 hybrid models each year.

In what has proved to be a busy few days, the company has also released details of a new subsidiary, the Beijing New Energy Automotive Company, focused solely on making clean energy vehicles, which anticipates selling between 20,000 to 40,000 green models per year by 2011. By 2015, the subsidiary aims to book annual sales of 15 billion yuan ($2.2 Bn), accounting for between 5 to 10 percent of BAIC’s total sales.

Although it appears the market for electric vehicles and hybrids is hotting up in China, I remain very sceptical about the prospects of Chinese companies competing in global markets. For starters, I’d say that the designs we’ve seen to date all look a bit conservative and samey, and negative perceptions regarding quality and reliability remain a sticking point.

Image Credit - nutsnscrews

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