We all know (or should) by now that China is the fastest growing economy, and energy user, on the planet and that it has tremendous air pollution problems.

So what better place is there, carmakers have been thinking, to push sales of fuel-saving, low emission hybrid cars and SUVs?

Turns out, though, that the Chinese aren't falling all over themselves to be first on the block wirth a new Prius or other hybrid.

The cars, thanks to import duties and lack of competition, cost too much to be very attractive to most Chinese.

Continue reading...

Rapid growth without corresponding concern for climate change means China's anticipated carbon dioxide emissions during the first decade of this century will likely be more than twice the amount previously anticipated and could eclipse global efforts to stabliize greenhouse gases, according to a new study.

Using data that enabled them to bore down to the provincial level for the first time, researchers from the University of California's Berkeley and San Diego campuses to bore down to the provincial level to peg carbon dioxide growth in China from 2004 through 2010 at 11 percent or more -- versus previous studies' estimates of a 2.5 to 5 percent growth rate.

Continue reading...

Buster coupe is low-speed electric Smart look-alike imported from China.

Pssst.  Waiting for those cars from China? Some of 'em are already here!

Revo Motor Co., an Austin, Texas, importer of neighborhood electric vehicles, says its been selling Chinese-made NEVs for about 30 months now and has more than 30 dealers scattered across 25 states.

Company spokesman Ben Jenkins said the cars are made exclusively for Revo and are sold only in the US, although a new model due in December, the company's first highway legal car, will be sold in China as well.

Revo sells three models, the 2-door  "Buster" coupe and convertible – which would  look remarkably like a Chinese designer's interpretation of a Smart Fortwo if we didn't know that the Chinese don't copy other companies' desgins -- and the four-door "Lynny" sedan (hey, we don't name 'em, we just write about 'em).

Continue reading...

China's first proprietary hybrid car is likely to come from Guangzhou Automotive Industry Corp. as a project with joint venture partners Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp., according to the South China Evening Post.

The Chinese company, which assembles cars such as the Honda Fit and Toyota Camry for the Chinese market, has budgeted almost $1 billion U.S. for development of its own vehicles and is building a research and development center in Panyu, a southern Chinese city in the Pearl River delta near Hong Kong.

At the Shanghai Auto Show in November, GAI displayed a hybrid crossover vehicle concept and a concept battery-electric car.

While not the first Chinese carmaker to propose its own hybrid, GAI – which apparently can draw on the technical expertise of two of the world's leading hybrid vehicle manufacturers – stands the best chance of being first to market, according to auto market analysts at Global Insight.

Sorry, no sketches, photos or specs yet.