Chinese firms now offering all-electric cars

Chinese firms Geely Automotive and 7389 Kandi have jointly developed an all-electric vehicle. The JL7001BEV model has won official approval from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This is of note as it means Chinese buyers of the vehicle will be able to benefit from several national and local subsidies and incentives for EVs. The new JL7001BEV model is among those on the lists of Approved Vehicles. The Chinese authorities are keen to encourage customers to buy more electric vehicles in a bid to help reduce pollution issues in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Meanwhile the Denza electric cars developed in a joint venture between 3992 Daimler and 3484 BYD, may be sold in stores of Zhongsheng Group Holdings, one of China's largest dealers. The joint venture has said that it expects to begin deliveries of its first EV in mid-2014. Under the joint-venture agreement, Daimler is providing expertise in EV architecture and safety while BYD is contributing batteries and the e-drive system.

And over 50 of BYD’s E6 electric cars have been supplied to the UKL, where they will be used as taxis and also as rental vehicles. These cars have been fully homologated for use on European roads. According to BYD, the E6 model has the longest range of any new electric car in the UK at 300km.