China's Chery Automobile produces its first plug-in electric car

Clean automobiles are starting to hit the streets of China, and just a few short months after BYD rolled its first plug-in hybrid out of the factory, Chery Automobile has followed suit... sort of, anyway. Unlike BYD's alternative, the just announced S18 is purely electric, promising up to 150 kilometers on a single charge and a maximum speed of 120kph (around 72mph). The battery can be juiced from empty to full in around six hours using a standard 220-volt home outlet, while it can reach 80 percent capacity within just a half hour. Yuan Tao, vice president of Chery, confessed that the price would be "very suitable for families," though he held back from giving specifics -- you know, like an availability date, or a definite quantity of airbags.

[rudolfo2 Posted Feb 23rd 2009 4:13AM]

Envy,Envy,Envy.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 4:30AM]

Wow, Chineseneglet, you actually registered only to bash chinese
products?

Typical dude with inferiority complex that can't succeed and do
anything well looking for something to bash on. ***** Corrected

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 11:51AM]

How about try one more time?

I suggest "Typical dude with an inferiority complex that can't succeed or do
anything well just looking for something to bash on."

****corrected

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 11:22PM]

this is very informative blog for electrice car. thank you for sharing information about electrick cars.Buy cheap used cars"

[D3rwin Posted Feb 23rd 2009 5:04AM]

I know you guys love to bash on this guy for being a racist, but if you ask around China, you'll know that he's basically telling the truth. No one knows how bad the Chinese can be at this stuff like the Chinese themselves.

Despite the wild shouting, he is pretty much on the money. Precious few Chinese companies have any integrity at all and those that do, do business with foreigners. It's a gut-wrenching, heart-breaking paradigm that will take ages to change, if it ever changes, and is a product of decades of distorted societal brainwashing (read:cultural 'revolution').

China may, as a whole, one day succeed in excellence, but only in spite of its overall lack of self-respect over profits and over-reliance on a hazy memory of its own traditions.

Downrank him or me if you will, but ask any Chinese person... they will be the first to agree.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 5:09AM]

kool. i`m startin to believe that the whole "china will control the world by 2020" is true.

& WOW at the comments, u guys sure envy the Chinese from the looks of it. (Guess this will change in time, Japan has been through this, & now every1 considers it/knows that its the leading country in the world, teach wise.)

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 7:02AM]

No Chinese-made passenger vehicle has yet come close to meeting U.S. emissions and crash-test standards.

Chery's claims as to range and recharge time have not been verified.

Considering how much lithium-based batteries capable of moving a vehicle cost, it is very unlikely anyone can bring to market an under-$30,000 car with nearly 100 miles battery-only range.

[conscious Posted Feb 23rd 2009 7:23AM]

I love China. I love Chinese people. I love Chinese food. I love Chinese movies. I love Chinese girls. But I can tell you this, fine folks: I will *Never* *Ever* drive a car made in China.


Watch the video, and see what happens when cars from Chery get crash tested. I think you'll concur.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 9:58AM]

Actually that logo looks like the Open Arena logo. Makes me wonder if I'm going to get sniped by a railgun when I go around the next blind corner. :)

[wetworker Posted Feb 23rd 2009 12:13PM]

I love this, Americans sounding like when the British Empire was falling; stop bitching it’s just a matter of time b4 china start collecting what you owe them. Don’t worry it’s going to be quick and painless.

Welcome to the other side.

[(Unverified) Posted Feb 23rd 2009 2:00PM]

The cure for quality is....drum roll please...............lawyers. They actually do serve a purpose, well...lawsuits that is. If China all of a sudden had a growth in lawyers and lawsuits...things would be safer there.

[dsgorham Posted Feb 23rd 2009 3:16PM]

This picture is from Dubai, right?

[xiaohan Posted Feb 23rd 2009 7:20PM]

What all the european and american, japanese shit did at the Opium Wars should be named? Gentleman style trading with China?

[caodapeng Posted Feb 24th 2009 5:51PM]

For those of you who are wondering about the price of this car, here is a clip from CCTV news:

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNzMzMDQ5MzY=.html

Basically, the listed price is 70,000 RMB or $10,294. New buyers can get 60,000 RMB subsidy from government's new energy promotion program. So the final price is 10,000 RMB or $1,471 plus tax and fee.

Sounds like a great deal. I will get one as a secondary car for my family when it comes out in volume.