CHINA'S ANSWER TO TESLA

Executive Shows China’s First Home-Grown Electric Sports Car; Effort looks to capitalize on the nation’s support for vehicles that don’t add to air pollution

Colum Murphy, April 22, 2015 (Wall Street Journal)

“…Electric cars are enticing because the Chinese government has pledged substantial support for their development to address air pollution produced by conventional-engine vehicles. China also hopes adoption of electric cars will bolster energy security by reducing dependency on imported gasoline…[ CH-Auto Technology Co.] is planning the country’s first battery-powered sports car that is cheaper than imported European gasoline-engine roadsters…[It] would go into production in late 2016 and challenge similar models from much bigger foreign companies…CH-Auto Technology Co. has a track record. It has designed gasoline-powered cars for Chinese manufacturers…[Aston Martin. Tesla, and Toyota] have big plans to expand electric-car sales here…Sales of electric vehicles in China rose to 18,000 units last year, quadruple the number in 2013…But success for electric-car makers in China—including Tesla—remains elusive…Challenges include the high price of most electric vehicles, as well as difficulty in developing infrastructure such as charging stations for a nation as vast as China…[CH-Auto’s] solution is to give customers a reason to buy an electric vehicle, which is where sports cars—already high-ticket items popular with wealthy Chinese—come in…” click here for more

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