China Vies to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles

[steven johnson]

Source: New York Times

Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that.

The goal, which radiates from the very top of the Chinese government, suggests that Detroit's Big Three, already struggling to stay alive, will face even stiffer foreign competition on the next field of automotive technology than they do today.
"China is well positioned to lead in this," said David Tulauskas, director of China government policy at General Motors.

To some extent, China is making a virtue of a liability. It is behind the United States, Japan and other countries when it comes to making gas-powered vehicles, but by skipping the current technology, China hopes to get a jump on the next.

Japan is the market leader in hybrids today, which run on both electricity and gasoline, with cars like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. The United States has been a laggard in alternative vehicles. G.M.'s plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt is scheduled to go on sale next year, and will use rechargeable batteries imported from LG in South Korea.


Read more: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/global/02electric.xml

[madrchsod]

1. gm is building it`s own batteries in the usa

oh course if there will be a general motors in a few months...or should i say an american division of the general motors of china

[azul]

2. China has not so many gas stations. They can go directly to electric or H2

They are investing in infrastructure, and wondering if gas is a dead end, literally.

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. China is already WAY ahead of the USA on high-speed rail service.

.
.
.

The Chinese Ministry of Railways already has 60 trains in the Velaro style in use--among other things for transportation between Tianjin-Beijing during the Olympic games last year.

With a consumption of only 0.33 liters per seat for every 100 kilometers traveled (712 mpg), the Velaro is the most environmentally friendly high-speed train on the market, Siemens claims.




The company's Velaro train has a top speed of 218 mph. A typical train will have 16 cars and carry more than 1,000 passengers. With a total length of more than 1,300 feet, the new trains will be the world's longest single high-speed units in use, according to Siemens.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-10201316-76.html

While the USA dicks around in the ME, Asia is silently growing,

and advancing . . .


I worked for our CP rail, and the US rail is about the same quality -

not much of the track can sustain even 60 miles an hour. .

[Politicalboi]

4. Yes but does it

Go from Disneyland the Vegas Brothels? I thought not. Let them make electric cars we need alternative fuels. I think it would be a mistake to go electric when we have many other ways to make non polluting fuels. Even ways to use the waste in landfills to make fuel.

[msongs]

5. china auto industry is government run and has no competition far as Ive read nt