Archive for December, 2010
GM’s plans for Guangzhou Auto Show
The Guangzhou Auto Show is just over a week away and with the show time being changed making it closer to Christmas, it seems that a lot of Western media will be avoiding the show. Not GM though, they have big plans for the show and have already come up with a theme of ‘Environmentally [...]
No love for Chinese made Volvo’s in India
From the Hindu Business Line: In August, China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group acquired Volvo Car Corporation and said a manufacturing facility would be built in Shanghai. Geely added that it would maintain Swedish headquarters and the plants in Sweden and Belgium. Mr Paul de Voijs, Managing Director, Volvo Auto India, told Business Line that the [...]
VW’s Ebola 150km electric car spotted again
VW owes its very existence to the vast riches of the Chinese market which lapped up the German automakers products faster than it could make them, so VW are eager to get into the next generation of cars here in China and plan to show off their first pure electric production car at the Guangzhou [...]
China Auto Imports Double
From Auto Evolution: Automobile imports to China have more than doubled in the first 10 months of this year, compared to the sales figures of last year. The number of passenger cars imported reached 628,100 units from January to October in 2010, up 111.9% year on year, according to a report from the China Association [...]
Want a Geely? Get yourself onto Taobao.com
Taobao.com was Ebay’s death knell in China, they could just not compete with local knowledge and failed to understand the local buyers and sellers in China. Ebay was a foreigner in China, Taobao was the plucky under dog that took on a multinational and won, Geely was/is the world’s biggest automotive underdog, but somehow they [...]
China to attempt the worlds fastest train
Just a few days ago China announced the testing of the world’s fastest possible train, now they are going for something totally different; they plan to humiliate the French TGV system with a 500+ kph train. China also plans to link up with its southerly neighbors with a series of 200kph trains that will increase [...]
China car sales up 27% in November
Sales of passenger cars in China reached a year high in November with a growth of 27% on November 2009′s sales, and reached 1.28 million units according to data from the China Passenger Car Association. Sales were also up 10.5% over October’s figures and are expected to continue to climb into December as the announcement [...]
Beijing’s plans to ease crippling traffic pass Central Government application
Beijing’s traffic is among the worst in the world, to sit in a traffic jam for upwards of an hour per day seems to be the norm for Beijing’ers who have embraced the automobile and abandoned their bicycles with apparent ease, after all cycling in the capital during winter is no fun. Beijing Government has [...]
Hawtai to launch more SUV’s in 2012, also 2.0TDI and 6 speed gearbox
Hawtai might be known as a manufacturer of ex-Hyundai vehicles now, but two or three years from now they will have a very exciting product line up that will rival the likes of Brilliance in the domestic market. Hawtai have set up their new car project on a set of very solid plans, they bought [...]
High resolution pictures of the new MG3
SAIC recently posted a series of pictures of the new MG3 on its own blog, however we completely missed them until now. The MG3 is expected to make its official launch at the Guangzhou Auto Show later this month where it will be unveiled with a 1.5L engine and the promise of a 1.3L engine [...]
New energy vehicle sales from Jan to Oct 2010: 54 units.
Why aren’t people buying electric vehicles in China? It seems that they are the obvious solution to life’s automotive problems. High gas prices, maintenance fees, noise pollution etc etc, are all major banes in any modern city life, except Chinese automakers came along and started offering low cost hybrid vehicles and new energy models to [...]
Chery planning new compact SUV
Chery are planning yet another compact SUV for the Chinese auto market, although there were rumors that Chery were planning to build a Darcia Duster fighter for the European market for when they eventually arrive in the area. The new SUV is expected to be the Riich X3 and will be powered by 1.3S and [...]
Lifan’s SUV spotted out testing, looking less like a RAV4
The RAV4 was the original mold for many a Chinese SUV, the Chery Tiggo3, the Jonway UFO, countless others and of course Lifan’s first SUV, however since we first saw it it seems the Lifan SUV has undergone a mild transformation in a bid to lose the similarities to the RAV4 making it look rather [...]
1.6 Mitsubishi ASX flying into China soon
The ASX has gotten off to to a good start in the Chinese market, it maybe an imported model and thus subject to rather harsh import taxes but it seems to be doing well against the locally made Nissan Qashqai in which it shares its segment. Currently the ASX is sold in China via the [...]
Chinese Fire Trucks through the ages
The Culture section on China Car Times is still rather bare, so in a bid to bring more Chinese auto culture to the English speaking sphere of influence we thought it would be a great time to have a look at Chinese fire engines through the ages. In recent years the Chinese fire service have [...]
Panic buying in December? National Development and Reform Council announces cancellation of preferential taxes for sub 1.6 cars
In 2009 the Chinese auto market was seemingly heading for a disaster, consumer confidence was in the gutter and everyone was looking to the government for support, the government did step up to the challenge and offered several methods to deal with the on coming automotive crisis. The first thing they did was to lower [...]
Are lower sales tax rates on sub 1.6L dead yet?
The Chinese government introduced lower taxes for sub 1.6L cars in early 2009 to avoid a crash in the car market and to boost consumer spending, the result of which has made China the strongest car buying nation in the world and has eclipsed the US car market at its peak, although it seems that [...]
Another round of cars for China’s Green Car Subisidy
Earlier this year China announced a 3000rmb subsidy for buyers of energy efficient cars that included both domestic and international brands produced in China. Another series of energy efficient cars have been added to the list, and buyers will be able to claim their subsidy at purchase time: Hyundai: Accent, i30, Elantra Yue Dong, Elantra, [...]
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-12-05
Join the official China Car Times Linkedin group now!!! http://linkd.in/fqLEqw # All east coast Chinese airports sealed thanks to fog, so how do I get home?! # Got back to Qingdao in the early hours, 500rmb offer from an illegal cab driver to take me the 20km home # Greatwall Auto working Landrover in China? [...]
Foreign money flowing into Chinese car rental business
From Xinhua: As foreign investment floods into China’s burgeoning car rental market, the sector is facing a possible reshuffle due to increased competition.On Nov. 18, Mitsubishi Corporation of Japan signed an agreement to pump in 20 million U.S. dollars to set up a joint venture with Zhejiang-based Cheeyo Car Rental. The deal demonstrates the confidence [...]
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