In autumn 2005 ADAC has crashed the first Chinese car – Landwind, and catastrophic results, caused the national discussion about the future of Chinese automotive industry. A lot of voices appeared then, saying that Chinese with theirs obscurantist technology, which bases on European producers’ solutions, will need min. 10-15 years to reach the level of Korean brands, not mentioning about European ones. But this time shortens very fast…

Dropping the fact, that Korean brands – mainly because of cee’d and i30 – has unawares domesticated in Europe, Chinese made and incredible technology progression during the time. Although in many cases they still need few more years of work, then in case of still innovative hybrid technology, they have chance to overtake western competitors. Just the ecological cars, are the biggest Chinese asset, and during crisis time, they have the real chance to exist not only on the local market. Currently, the global and not stricken leader is Japan, and two the most well – known models are Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. USA are the second country except of Japan, where, so called soft hybrids, are produced. In Europe the subject does not exist at all.

The Chinese government has just announced the acceptance of new economic programme, which will let China come to elite club of the biggest car makers of hybrid cars. During three years China wants to boost production of these cars (buses as well) – from only 2,100 units produced last years to 500,000 units. Moreover, China has chance to be the biggest producer of electric cars in 2012. Government incentives, such as 8,800 USD supplement when buying hybrid for taxi corporations and government agencies, cause the fast growth of interest in ecological drive sources. .

The biggest local producers has been presenting ecological technologies on every big automotive event for two years. The leaders are BYD Auto, Chery Automobile, Brilliance Auto or Dongfeng Motor, though an information about next car maker introducing hybrid technology appears ever week - Great Wall, Geely, Changan, SAIC and FAW. Possibly, quite soon, one of these producers will present vehicle, which will be able to compete with Japanese models.

The hybrid technology is not everything. Chinese producers manage very well in crisis time and use it in the best possible way, buying known, bankrupting companies. Only during last month, they got big supplier of Chrysler and Ford, the Australian producer of automatic gears Drivetrain Systems International (DSI) with the whole package of not introduced projects, and part of Delphi concern, producing (i.a. in Krosno) technology advanced MagneRide suspension for Audi R8. Considering the fact, that currently most of Chinese models, destined for export are designed by Italians (then the copies’ problem disappear), quite soon it might appear, that crash tests will be the last defence line of UE in fight with more and more competetive cars “MADE IN CHINA”. Euro 5 standard might not be enough then…

Source: Autochiny.pl

Latest news about hybrids:

• BYD Auto and announce of the new bestseller
• BYD Auto in Poland - the official importer of Chinese brand has been revealed
• New spy affair, Chery innocent?
• BYD to display e6, F3DM in Detroit next month
• BYD Auto sells less than 100 F3DM EVs in 8 months
• Changan Auto to sell 1,000 Jiexun-HEVs in '09
• Changfeng to make China's first hybrid SUV
• Chery Auto launches hybrid-car offensive