18 | Monday, September 9, 2019 Motoring CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Short Torque Electricity’s future on display Parallel imports hoped to boost auto industry Chengdu auto show China has decided to expand a pilot showcases latest program of parallel auto imports to eco-friendly vehicles offer customers more choice and further open up its auto industry. Authorized whole-vehicle ports whose annual car imports top 1,000 By CAO YINGYING units can apply to enjoy parallel and ZHANG DANDAN auto import policies, according to a guideline released by the Ministry of Global carmakers showcased Commerce and six other govern- their determination to shift toward ment agencies. Each provincial electrification and prospects of the region should have no more than new energy vehicles in the world’s five pilot enterprises in principle, largest auto market at the 22nd the guideline said. For parallel Chengdu Motor Show in Sichuan imports, independent auto dealers province, running from Sep 5 to 14. directly purchase vehicles from a German carmaker Mercedes- foreign production base or auto Benz announced on Thursday that dealer. Prices for parallel import the Mercedes-Benz EQC, its first cars are lower than the prices fully electric sports utility vehicle offered by authorized dealers. model, opens to booking. The EQC is scheduled to be delivered to Chi- nese customers in November as Chinese electric cars German auto giant dashes forward to be sold in Israel into electrification. Equipped with the MBUX intelli- Chinese electric cars will be sold for gent man-machine interactive sys- the first time in Israel starting in the tem, the EQC can optimize first quarter of 2020, with an Israeli navigation routes based on the real- dealership to offer models of GAC time information about energy Motor, China’s leading automaker, consumption, road conditions and the Hebrew-language newspaper the service condition of charging Yedioth Ahronoth reported on stations. Thursday. The GAC Motor electric Mercedes-Benz said it is to pro- car models that will be sold in Israel vide tailored electric auto services Dongfeng Renault Automotive Company launches its first electric car K-ZE at the Chengdu auto show. CAO YINGYING / CHINA DAILY are the Aion S and Trumpchi GE3. for Chinese customers, including The Israeli importing company for installing intelligent charging piles, GAC electric cars will be a new sub- providing public charging piles and ering different segments in the com- sidiary of Union Group, a Toyota-Is- Mercedes-Benz exclusive charging ing years to provide safe products to raeli car importer located in the stations, as well as a 24-hour road The new energy Chinese customers, Wei added. coastal city of Tel Aviv. Later in rescue charging service. The event showcases other elec- 2020, electric car models of Chinese BMW is another German auto vehicle sector still will tric products including GAC NE’s carmakers MG Motor, JAC Motors magnate that affirmed its determi- develop at a high intelligent SUV Aion LX, GAC Hon- and Nevs are also expected to enter nation to develop electrification. da’s first mass-produced pure elec- Israel. “BMW has announced that by speed since its tric sedan iA5, Aiways’ U5 SUV and 2023, it will launch 25 electric vehi- market share is too Xpeng Motors’ P7 model, which BYD launches latest cle models. And most of them will plans to deliver in first half of next electric models come to China,” said Johann Wie- low in China.” year. land, president and CEO of BMW Some carmakers believe the elec- Chris Chen, vice-president of China’s largest new energy vehicle Brilliance Automotive, in an inter- tric technology is not mature yet to Chery Jaguar Land Rover maker BYD launched its e2 model view at the Chengdu auto show. meet high demands of driving per- last week in Shenzhen, Guangdong Its joint venture in China, BMW formance and the passion of acceler- province. The compact pure electric Brilliance will produce the BMW customers’ concerns about mileage ation. sedan is aimed at younger custom- iX3 — the first fully electric model and safety problems. Francesco Scardaoni, managing ers and is equipped with the DiLink of the BMW X family — in Shen- Sino-French joint venture Dong- director of Lamborghini China, said 2.0 intelligent connectivity system. yang next year, which is a big step Mercedes­Benz’s new energy vehicle model EQC is expected to be feng Renault Automotive Compa- in an interview the weight of the The car body is 4,240 millimeters for the company. The BMW iX3 is delivered in China in November. ZHANG DANDAN / CHINA DAILY ny launched its first electric car, pure electric power system affects long, with a wheelbase of 2,610 mm. produced for the world, Wieland K-ZE at the Chengdu auto show, the handling of sports cars, and per- To make customers feel secure added. with a suggested retail price from formance-wise, cannot last long. about the electric car, BYD uses its With the country cutting subsi- The CEO added that the new ener- competition and feeling the pres- 61,800 yuan ($8,688). Scardaoni said such restrictions are e-platform and the car can travel a dies for new energy vehicles in late gy market needs sustainable solu- sure associated with the great chal- Wei Wenqing, the new executive not acceptable for Lamborghini’s distance of up to 405 kilometers on June, the new energy vehicle sector tions, which refer to high-quality lenges of operation and vice-president of Dongfeng Ren- sports cars. one charge. BYD will offer four vari- has shown signs of a slowdown. products, solid working processes, management. ault, said suitable mileage is better The luxury brand will consider ants of the e2 at prices ranging from According to the China Association correct company structures and an “The new energy vehicle sector than long mileage for electric vehi- electric technology in the future, 89,800-119,800 yuan of Automobile Manufacturers, appropriate level of growth. still will develop at a high speed cles. when there are greater technologi- ($12,608-$16,820). sales of new energy vehicles in Chi- “We have seen a lot of electric car since its market share is too low in “Electric vehicles carrying heavy cal breakthroughs. na fell for the first time in 30 startups. And so far, they have used a China,” Chen said. battery packs sometimes is a waste. They plan to launch a new model months, sliding 4.7 percent in July lot of money,” Wieland noted. “Now, Chery Jaguar Land Rover plans The small electric SUV K-ZE is with hybrid power system at the S Korea’s vehicle sales from a year earlier. it looks like that they are running to provide electric variants for all designed with the range of 271 kilo- transition period, Scardaoni said. struggle in August The association cut its whole- out of money. If you want to change, of its models by 2020, said Murray meters at a balance point,” Wei said According to the event’s organiz- year sales estimate from 1.6 million you have to create a sustainable Dietsch, president of Chery Jaguar on Thursday. ers, more than 130 automakers have South Korea’s automobile sales fell to 1.5 million for the new energy solution here for China, which is also Land Rover, at the auto show. As one of the world’s leaders of showcased over 1,600 vehicles at last month on weak demand both at vehicle sector. the same all over the world.” The comapny’s Changshu plant electric vehicles, Renault has now the ongoing Chengdu auto show to home and abroad, industry data Facing fluctuations in the Chi- Chris Chen, vice-president of in Jiangsu province is being pre- sold more than 250,000 units, with attract customers and expand the showed last week. The number of nese new energy market, Wieland Chery Jaguar Land Rover, has simi- pared for the production of the zero fire accidents. auto market in Southwest China. cars sold and made by five domestic noted that the long-term trend of lar concerns. new energy vehicles. Although the joint venture is rela- automakers, including Hyundai, electrification is absolutely right, He said that with policy changes To take a share of the spoils in tively new in China, the resources of Contact the writers at Kia, Ssangyong, GM Korea and Ren- and that he believed the sales of and traditional carmakers launch- Chinese new energy vehicle mar- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance [email protected] ault Samsung, was 639,435 in electric cars and hybrids will con- ing more new energy products, elec- ket, carmakers are also utilizing and Dongfeng Renault will spur the and zhangdandan August, down 2.9 percent from a tinue growing. tric startups are facing fiercer their global resources to assuage addition of more electric models cov- @chinadaily.com.cn year earlier. Auto exports reduced 2.1 percent over the year to 520,956 in August, while domestic car sales shrank 6.2 percent to 118,479 in the BJEV advocates battery swap service for e-vehicle owners month. Hyundai’s global car sales diminished 6.2 percent over the year to 363,045 last month, includ- By LI FUSHENG “I wouldn’t say it would be the ing 52,897 at home and 310,148 [email protected] only solution, but battery swap will abroad. Kia’s auto sales gained 2.1 We will separate the be an important alternative espe- percent to 228,871 in the month, China’s largest electric car maker cially for vehicles used for public including 43,362 at home and BJEV is championing the battery batteries from transport,” he said.