|
CHINA> National
![]() |
|
Car designer sees China's wheels electric-powered
By Li Qian (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-05-12 21:07 The UK's top car designer, Peter Stevens, sees China's future on the wheels powered by electricity.
Stevens became one of the world's best-known figures in the industry receiving numerous honors for creating race cars for companies such as Lamborgini and Lotus. The luxury car designer came to Beijing as part of the British Embassy's campaign to introduce UK talents to China. Upon his arrival, Stevens was stunned by the number of electric bicycles on the streets. "In London you don't see one [electric bike]; in Paris you don't see one [neither]," he said. Stevens said Chinese manufacturers have mastered bike design and mass-production of electric cars could be the next step.
By the end of this year, BYD, which produces 65% of the world's nickel-cadmium batteries, is planning to develop an environmentally-sound pure electric car. The National Development and Reform Commission outlined China's ambitious plan to become the world's largest producer of electric cars by 2011, manufacturing up to 500,000 units annually. To boost the production of battery-powered vehicles the Chinese government will contribute up to 80 percent towards the cost, making a Chery electric car, which normally costs around 70,000 yuan, available for buyers at just 10,000 yuan. With this new government scheme the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects car sales in the country to reach up to 10 million this year and overtake the United States. BYD Auto already attracted world's most successful investors, including Warrant Buffet, who according to the Caijing magazine, recently bought 9.89 percent share of BYD for HK$1.8 billion. With such recent developments Stevens believes China has the potential to become the world's largest producer of electric cars in the near future. But he said to repair the Chinese car manufacturers' damaged reputation for alleged copycat deeds, the unique style must be found using the country's cultural elements in design. |
繁峙县| 绵阳市| 汶上县| 平远县| 红原县| 宜章县| 靖西县| 昭平县| 舒城县| 昭苏县| 高台县| 阳谷县| 乳源| 南和县| 奇台县| 济源市| 甘德县| 安远县| 瑞丽市| 兰溪市| 博罗县| 鸡泽县| 宿松县| 重庆市| 友谊县| 上蔡县| 民乐县| 涞源县| 固镇县| 孝昌县| 兴义市| 沙田区| 浑源县| 南京市| 拉孜县| 清水河县| 苍山县| 平果县| 若尔盖县| 普洱| 灵寿县|