Chinese, Korean media visit new-energy car factory

Beijing (CNS) -- Chinese and Korean media exchanged views with local car makers and industry experts at the Beijing Automobile Works' (BAW) new-energy car production site in the Daxing District of Beijing on Tuesday.

The site has an annual production capacity for 20,000 new-energy vehicles, the largest in China.

At present, new-energy cars make up only a small proportion of China's total auto yield. However, favorable policies and the eco-friendly angle are expected to lead to a sharp climb in future sales; 500,000 in 2015 is the government's estimate.

In terms of technology, China has built advanced new-energy car labs as well as research and development bases, putting the three core elements of new-energy auto design and production under its control.

Apart from the ecological benefits, drivers must be glad of the fact that electronic costs only amount to about one-quarter of that burned by combustion engines.

Unlike the Korean market, which is marked by a hesitancy over the cost performance and feasibility of this new generation of vehicles, the Chinese are more open to the new products, which may be in part due to a preferential tax policy, consumer subsidies, an installed network of supplementary battery charging facilities.