Green cars shine at auto show

Foreign and domestic automakers are keeping new-energy cars in the limelight at the 15th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (Auto Shanghai), which is being held from Sunday to April 29.

Founded in 1985 as the first international auto exhibition in China, the biennial Auto Shanghai has grown to become one of the most important global events in the automotive industry, not to mention the biggest in Asia.

With the theme of "Innovation for Better Life," this year's auto show, with a record-high 280,000 square meters of exhibition area, attracted about 2,000 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions and saw more than 1,300 vehicles on display, including 111 worldwide debuts of new models of which 28 are from foreign automakers. Auto Shanghai 2011 showcased only 1,100 models, with 75 global premieres.

Meanwhile, on account of the record levels of air pollution in some Chinese cities this winter, green cars continue to be the sector of interest among many manufacturers at home and abroad, which is reflected in the increased number of new-energy cars seen at the show.

A total of 91 new-energy models are being showcased at Auto Shanghai 2013, up from 86 models in 2011.

Among them, 56 foreign models outnumber 35 domestic ones for the first time in the event's history, underscoring the way international brands are looking to tap the market for eco-friendly vehicles in China - the largest auto market in the world.

Compared with the previous event, this year's new-energy models showed an obvious cooldown of the once-popular electric cars, a change indicating that the market is not ready for pure electric vehicles.

"Technically speaking, China's electric cars are falling behind their international rivals, especially in the quality of batteries," Li Haiying, an auto analyst with Beijing-based Anbound Consulting, told the Global Times Sunday.

Reports about a vehicle explosion accident in Shenzhen last year have cast a shadow on market confidence in China's homegrown electric cars.

"Also, given the fact that electric cars are facing obstacles like high battery costs and a lack of charging stations, hybrid cars are expected to receive more government policy supports like subsidies, which are closely linked to the development of new-energy vehicles, and become the mainstream for development in the coming two to three years," Li explained.

The Shanghai auto show has also pointed up this trend in new-energy cars.

One of China's leading car manufacturers SAIC Motor Corp has hybrid vehicles under the Roewe brand on display this year, while major world auto brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Volkwagen and Ferrari all debuted hybrid models at the show.