Electric hybrids all the rage at Shanghai auto show
SHANGHAI - General Motors Co. has announced plans to manufacture and sell a gasoline-electric hybrid version of its Chevrolet Volt in China.
The announcement at the Shanghai auto show comes as Beijing pushes global automakers to promote alternatives to gasoline.
The total of 1,400 sedans, SUVs, minivans and other vehicles displayed at the show include 63 electric or gasoline-electric hybrids from global brands and 96 from Chinese manufacturers, according to the organizers.
GM said its Velite 5 hybrid will be sold not as a Chevrolet but by its Buick unit, which has modest sales elsewhere but is GM's main brand in China.
The vehicle will be made by GM's joint venture with a state-owned automaker, Shanghai Automotive Industries Corp. Prices will start at 265,800 yuan, or $38,600.
Ford hybrid: Ford Motor Co.'s luxury brand, Lincoln, has unveiled its first gasoline-electric hybrid, a version of its MKZ mid-size sedan, at the Shanghai auto show.
Lincoln said the MKZ will go on sale this year in China starting at 329,800 yuan, or $47,900.
The company also displayed a concept version of its first full-size SUV, the Navigator. It said sales will begin late this year.
Volvo, VW also join trend: Volvo Cars, the Chinese-owned Swedish automaker, has announced plans to produce a pure-electric car in China for sale worldwide starting in 2019.
Volvo said the car will be based on the economy-size CMA platform shared with Chinese automaker Geely, which bought the Swedish brand from Ford Motor Co. in 2010. Volvo has two factories in China and in 2015 became the first automaker to export Chinese-made cars to the United States.
In addition, Volkswagen unveiled an electric crossover concept vehicle, the I.D. Crozz, Tuesday on the eve of the Shanghai auto show.
The Crozz isn't intended for sale, but VW says it has a top speed of 112 miles (180 kilometers) per hour and a range of 311 miles (500 kilometers) on one charge.
Such range could help electrics win wider consumer acceptance by reducing "range anxiety," or fear of running out of power without a charger nearby.
Volkswagen said earlier it will launch a pure-electric car in China next year. It joins General Motors, Ford and other automakers that have announced electric models for China.