BAIC Unveils Self-Developed Electric Car

16 November, 2009 08:13:00

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Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp. (BAIC) has unveiled its first electric car while launching a new-energy auto company, joining domestic rivals to tap potential demand for green cars.

The electric car, known as BE701, will have a maximum range of 200 kilometers (124 miles) when fully charged, with a maximum speed of 160 km/h (100mph), according to Xinhua state agency.

The carmaker didn't say when to start mass production of BE701 electric sedan, but the

BAIC established a new energy car company in Beijing Saturday to produce and sell key new energy auto parts, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, charging system and battery renewal system.

The carmaker didn't say when to start mass production of BE701 electric sedan, but the new company is expected to make and sell 20,000 to 40,000 new energy cars by 2011, and realize a 15-billion-yuan ($2.20 billion) sales revenue, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of BAIC’s total sales.

BAIC’s domestic rivals Chery Automobile and BYD Co., partly owned by a unit of U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett, are also investing in green cars.

Chery unveiled in February its self-made electric car, S18, capable of going as far as 150 km on electricity when fully charged, with a maximum speed of 120 kph.

BYD Auto launched its plug-in hybrid car F3DM in China late last year.

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