Chery gets approval from Chinese gov't to start building hybrids this year
Chery has apparently been given the go ahead from authorities in Beijing to start building a new homegrown hybrid car based on their compact A5 sedan. The A5 hybrid is expected to go into production late in 2008 at a price that should start somewhere around $18,500. That sticker would put it well under a Prius or Civic Hybrid which run about $35,000 or more. Other than a 1.3L engine nothing else is known about the Chery hybrid system. Chery will be providing fifty cars for the use of officials during this summer's Olympic games in Beijing, forty of which should be the new hybrids.
[Source: China Car Times]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
kert 8:21PM (4/07/2008)
damn i read it as "Chevy gets approval..." .. oh well.
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Dan 10:24PM (4/07/2008)
Is this propoganda or a misprint? Prius or civc hybrids do NOT cost 35k
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Tim 12:07AM (4/08/2008)
Dan -
My thoughts exactly when I read that. So who here would pick a Chery over a Prius costing 3 grand more?
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s10 1:39AM (4/08/2008)
Maybe they ar the prices for Prius and Civic's in China?
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Mirko 2:44AM (4/08/2008)
@s10
That's exactly what it is.
With the current value of the US dollar, prices in other parts of the world have to look awfully expensive for Americans.
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James Bowe 9:43AM (4/08/2008)
@Mirko: Not sure if Civic hybrids are sold in China, nor what tariffs either car faces. Gasgoo.com puts the Prius chinese sticker at just over $36k. I know that up until July 2005 the chinese pegged their currency on the dollar so as to keep a constant exchange rate. Since then the yuan has risen about 15% on the dollar(I think). Pretty nice, but it certainly doesn't account for the 73% premium. What's the deal here? In the US, the Prius start's at $21,100 and the Civic hybrid at $22,600. Why so high in china?
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tekdemon 11:53PM (5/22/2008)
uh...taxes are very high on cars in China...taxes are also very high on cars in Europe/UK too though, so why are you guys surprised that the Prius costs more.
Go look up what a Corolla costs in England.
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