Reporters' Log

Geely may start producing new alternative-energy cars in late 2009

By Ding Qingfen and Zheng Lifei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-03-07 14:47

Geely Auto, one of China's biggest privately owned carmakers, may start mass production of its new alternative-energy cars in the second half of this year, its chairman said Saturday.

The Zhejiang-based carmaker, which unveiled its methanol-powered Haifeng last year, will start production this year but "will not in the first half," Chairman Li Shufu said on the sidelines of the annual sessions of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Li, a CPPCC member, said Geely's performance will be much better than the previous year thanks to a strategic transformation last July.

Geely's vehicle sales grew 20 percent from a year earlier in the first two months this year, Li disclosed.

But its overseas sales growth "were almost flat" in the same period because of the global economic downturn, the chairman said.

"The growth is relatively low, but I think it will pick up in the coming months," he said.

Geely has set a sales target of 25 percent growth in the domestic market this year.

Central Economic Work Conference

• Interest Rate Cut
• 30 Years of Reforms
• Coping with Financial Crisis
• Housing in China
• 2008 Tsinghua Management Global Forum
• more

Hot Words

• 政府注資 pump priming
• 軟環(huán)境 soft environment
• 糧食最低收購價 crops' minimum purchase prices

• 保八 Eight Percent Protection
• 以人為本 Put People First
• 農(nóng)民企業(yè)家 Farmer-turned-entrepreneur
• 窗口指導 window guidance
• 下崗再就業(yè) Re-employment after being laid off
• more

From Foreign Press

• German media give full coverage to Premier's report
• Overseas press praise China's 8% economic growth
• German media: Economy tops agenda at NPC session
• From the foreign press
• World media keeps close watch on 'two sessions'
• more

Letters

• Corruption top issue for public
• China adopts Food Safety Law
• China's economic growth in 2009
• more