Green Machines from China
BEIJING — The huge scale of China’s automotive industry — and its youth — could help China leapfrog other markets in the race to introduce ” green” cars.
” China is in a unique position to develop alternative fuels,” says Nick Reilly, president of GM Asia Pacific. Reilly made his comments in Friday at the Automotive News China conference.
However, China needs funds for research and development of new technology, Reilly notes. The quality of its fuel is inconsistent, and it lacks infrastructure to produce alternative fuels.
Reilly also argues that China’s auto industry needs tax breaks to encourage production of alternative fuel vehicles. And on the global level, the industry needs a common set of standards.
GM is bringing its latest alternative fuel vehicles to China. On April 20, General Motors was scheduled to showcase its Provoq fuel-cell powered vehicle and its Opel Flextreme plug-in electric car at the Beijing auto show.
Both vehicles feature GM’s E-Flex platform, which allows a vehicle to operate with a variety of different engine and fuel types. In the short-term, however, GM will take a simpler approach in China, Reilly says. It will look for ways to increase fuel efficiency in its conventional products.
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