30K new-energy vehicles on road

China now has nearly 30,000 new energy vehicles on the road and will promote the use of hybrid buses in the future, Zhao Yuhai, head of the high-tech department of the Ministry of Science and Technology, said in a recent interview. He said 23,000 new energy vehicles are now operational for public transport in 25 pilot cities, with the rest privately owned.

Heavy truck race heads to SE Asia

Fierce competition among Chinese heavy truck makers has now spread to Southeast Asia. Commercial vehicle manufacturer Shaanxi Automobile Group headquartered in Xi'an recently said it has opened a dealership for its Shacman trucks in Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, joining Sinotruck, Foton Motors and FAW Group with heavy truck outlets in the region.

Japanese brands down amid row

Toyota, Honda and Nissan all reported annual sales declines in China last year following protests and a boycott over the Diaoyu Islands dispute, the manufacturers announced last week. Sales at Toyota and Nissan decreased more than 5 percent to 850,000 units and 1.18 million units respectively, while Honda dropped 3.1 percent from the previous year to fewer than 600,000 units.

Brilliance moves up in sales rank

Shenyang-based Brilliance Automotive, the Chinese partner of BMW Group, sold more than 670,000 vehicles in 2012, an increase of 18 percent from last year, to become the seventh-largest domestic automaker by sales, one place higher than its position in 2011. It aims to sell 750,000 vehicles in 2013, among them 69,000 exports.

Great Wall climbs by 28 percent

Great Wall Motors, which mainly makes MPVs, SUVs and light trucks, said its 2012 sales grew 28 percent last year to 625,000 units, surpassing its original target of 600,000 units. In December alone, it sold 68,000 vehicles, a surge of 29 percent over the same period last year. It plans to sell 700,000 vehicles in 2013.

Ford China car, truck ventures

Ford China also announced its full-year sales figures, which showed it delivered 626,616 vehicles last year, an increase of 21 percent over 2011. Its joint venture with Chang'an sold 418,500 units, an increase of 31 percent, while its commercial vehicle joint venture Jiangling Motor sold 19,941 units, a rise of 14 percent.

Motoring

(China Daily 01/14/2013 page18)