Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketability
By Vlad Savov 
posted April 27th 2010 1:21PM
posted April 27th 2010 1:21PM
'Eclosion' of Geely Alternative Energy Vehicles On Auto China 2010
BEIJING, April 23 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- As a Chinese fairytale of "Eclosion to Butterfly" indicates, Geely alternative fuel vehicles have, through painstaking effort, come all the way to have their premiere on Beijing Auto Show this time. For years, Geely has been committed to R&D of alternative power systems for vehicles, and its 5 alternative fuel vehicles for mass production will be marketed in 2 years.
With eye-catching showcase in 2009 Shanghai Auto Show as a concept car only, Geely Intelligence (IG) this time is identified as a pioneering in-research model of Geely's alternative vehicles. It is face lifted from former single door and 3+1 seat layout to double seagull-wing doors and 2+2 seat layout now, while remains its hybrid power and cost design.
Geely brings two electric vehicles this time -- EK-1 and EK-2.EK-1 is lead-acid battery powered reaching 80km/h top speed and 80km range, and EK-2 is lithium iron phosphate battery powered with max. speed of 150km and range of 180km and can recharge 80% of battery capacity in 18mins.
In development of alternative power system, instead of restricting in one specific R&D direction, Geely diversified its development rating on different subjects during various time spans. According to related officer from Geely, currently, when various many factors are involved, in practical fleet, alternative fuel power is still but an option for the whole global auto industry, at least not such unified as the internal-combustion engine powered by petroleum. Considering this, on alternative fuel power solutions, Geely set its development mode of multiple propulsions ready to answer calls from both market needs and tomorrow challenges. Apart from battery electric vehicles, Geely showcase 1 vehicle model with GSC (Geely Intelligent Stop-Go System) and 2 models of GPEC (Geely Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle) .
For plug-in hybrid electric power, a relatively mature alternative energy power technology, Geely has finished its application design in serial and parallel forms and ready for mass production. Geely's EC7 is applied with GPECs(Geely Serial Plug-in Electric) with iron phosphate battery + 1.0 L engine, 60 km range when solely by battery, launch recently; EC8 is applied GPEC (Geely Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle, parallel), good at fuel economy and dynamic performance, fitted with 2.4L engine to challenge international premium alternative energy vehicle.
BEIJING, April 23 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- As a Chinese fairytale of "Eclosion to Butterfly" indicates, Geely alternative fuel vehicles have, through painstaking effort, come all the way to have their premiere on Beijing Auto Show this time. For years, Geely has been committed to R&D of alternative power systems for vehicles, and its 5 alternative fuel vehicles for mass production will be marketed in 2 years.
With eye-catching showcase in 2009 Shanghai Auto Show as a concept car only, Geely Intelligence (IG) this time is identified as a pioneering in-research model of Geely's alternative vehicles. It is face lifted from former single door and 3+1 seat layout to double seagull-wing doors and 2+2 seat layout now, while remains its hybrid power and cost design.
Geely brings two electric vehicles this time -- EK-1 and EK-2.EK-1 is lead-acid battery powered reaching 80km/h top speed and 80km range, and EK-2 is lithium iron phosphate battery powered with max. speed of 150km and range of 180km and can recharge 80% of battery capacity in 18mins.
In development of alternative power system, instead of restricting in one specific R&D direction, Geely diversified its development rating on different subjects during various time spans. According to related officer from Geely, currently, when various many factors are involved, in practical fleet, alternative fuel power is still but an option for the whole global auto industry, at least not such unified as the internal-combustion engine powered by petroleum. Considering this, on alternative fuel power solutions, Geely set its development mode of multiple propulsions ready to answer calls from both market needs and tomorrow challenges. Apart from battery electric vehicles, Geely showcase 1 vehicle model with GSC (Geely Intelligent Stop-Go System) and 2 models of GPEC (Geely Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle) .
For plug-in hybrid electric power, a relatively mature alternative energy power technology, Geely has finished its application design in serial and parallel forms and ready for mass production. Geely's EC7 is applied with GPECs(Geely Serial Plug-in Electric) with iron phosphate battery + 1.0 L engine, 60 km range when solely by battery, launch recently; EC8 is applied GPEC (Geely Plug-in Electric Hybrid Vehicle, parallel), good at fuel economy and dynamic performance, fitted with 2.4L engine to challenge international premium alternative energy vehicle.
BUNNY!
@CJisohsocool I'd say it's more like a million years away from marketability.......
@David Bailey says the marketing genius who is thinking about one person when he says that.
Go Go Gadget Geely!
Hate to see the cost of repairs on this...
Simple paintjob from Maaco isn't gonna cut it.
LOOK MOM, it's the Original Bumblebee
2010, Geely ate Volvo but he's still hungry.
This is even worse than that smart car POS...
Sorry, In 2 years I will have perfected my hemp powered motorcar and will rule the world.
@One Love
Too bad the Feds will still ban it to protect the cotton industry..
OH WAIT. I mean, to protect kids and bunnies and stuff, yea! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
It's Chinese, so its crash ratings will be on par with those of a soap bubble.
@whiskers
arrogant yank, god I hate this site.....I know not all of you are bad, but you sir need a damn good kick up the ass
@whiskers You're missing the big picture. The US doesn't even have anything close to this, good crash test ratings or not. China is on their way to eventually developing a solar car that has all the other advantages of our current cars. Read up on the history of Japanese automobiles. They started off tiny, underpowered, and with crappy crash test ratings too and the US car industry dismissed them. 20 years later in the 1980's, they completely dominated the US car industry.
@flux73 And now some are accelerating without end!
@ran
among those reported brake fail cases, a lot of which can not be repeated in later investigation experiments. If I were a Toyota driver, I would probably claim the brake failure when pulled over by hidden camouflaged cops. Besides, the lawyer who sued Toyota is a former employee of Toyota and later recruited and trained by Ford, and considering GM is owned by U.S. government...
How sad will it be if the Chinese beat us to a future Green, Jetsons like existence because we are ruled by greedy Oiligarch Vampires.
Yea, "DRILL BABY DRILL!" **shout the Luddite, Renfield like drones laying on the oil spilled, sludge filled beaches on the southern shores of the Republic of Texas** ..
@Frankenstein Black
The US is overrun by ignorant rednecks. It will be the downfall of the last remaining superpower from the cold war era. Bigoted Tea Partiers rejoice at the burning of Rome.
China is much like the US was a century ago. Back then Europe laughed at US manufacturing's poor quality, it was cheap cheap cheap. Sound familiar? Make fun of China all you want, but I'm thinking you won't be getting the last laugh.
LOL! Photovoltaic car! When the car gets dirty you can't start it.
@Darkseider
You are not replacing your battery with a capacitor, do you?
Great, a car from China. No thanks, I'd rather not drive something that will fold up like an accordion when it crashes, or burst into flames randomly.
@CaptSaltyJack Pretty much everything is from China. GM get parts from there, as do a lot of car companies. Most big companies in the world use Chinese made stuff. It's sad, but that's the way it is.
@CaptSaltyJack
The one you usually heard "burst into flames" is India car Tata Nano, not aware of news about Chinese cars catch fire randomly.
@CaptSaltyJack It was the Indian Tata car that bursted into flames you moron
@Lelouch Wow. So just because I used the phrase "burst into flames," I MUST be referring to the Tata? You're an idiot. I was speaking in a general sense.
@CaptSaltyJack - When/if electric cars reach reasonable volume numbers, it's inevitable that we will hear about some that burn. Plenty of gas powered cars burn too, with equally bad, if not worse, consequences.
Gull-wing doors were never popularized for a reason....
Engadget should stick to reporting about gadgets. This looks nothing like a Beetle.
To engadget everything made in China look like KIRF. Even the Chinese are KIRF
Comments make Engadget dumber.
@BigHam
agreed, this blog is full of haters, hatin on Indian/Chinese economies cause thier taking thier jobs
@williamlau05 Yeah, I mean, it couldn't have ANYTHING to do with the fact that this thing looks ridiculous. And it certainly couldn't be said that products from India and China tend to be far from what an American consumer considers attractive or well-made.
No, no, it's just hatred. Carry on.
@macserv people who buy cars for looks are like people who marry for looks, sure to be disappointed in the long-run (quick note, I'm against marriage and buying cars). Of course, it's ok to get a beaut in addition to all the other things you might be looking for in a car/woman. Would, I rather have this thing and the ridicule, a prius, or some really cute car...it all depends on how this one shapes up, because, I'm a function over form kinda guy.
isnt GEELY the name of a jennifer whats her face movie that failed with ben aflec?
"Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketability" instantly fugly.
Aside from the butterfly doors, it's a really nice design. (Not judging only from this one pic.) It's a real stretch to call it a derivative of a VW Bug. This car looks more different from a Bug than a Zune does an iPod.
Geely comics. Chinese comics.
"Geelllyyyyyyyy... did you knock out VW Beetle and wear his skin?"
The title should be: "Geely IG is covered in solar cells, two years away from marketing"
I don't mind the whole idea of going green, thats fine. But why can't these concept cars look good! This is ugly.
how long to charge the batteries just by sitting in the sun? that is all that matters.. ( since most cars are parked in front of the office all day anyway..
@heng yeah, probably about 10 years... :)
While I don't doubt that solar panels may help charge the batteries when you are away from home, I would think their weight would make it better to install on your roof facing south (or following the Sun), and plug your car into that when you get home. Use carbon fiber to make the car lighter and remove anything that just adds weight with no real benefit.
Still, it would be sad if the Chinese become environmentalists and get off foreign (OPEC) oil before the US does.
@rcappo
*I would like China & India to use renewable energy and adopt these futuristic vehicles, but I meant that it would be bad as Americans if we couldn't or wouldn't do this in a few years.
@rcappo On your second point first, yes it is obviously sad if the much richer per capita country, and richer overall, with typical claims of the economic mobility being unsurpassed by the EU due to its taxes and regulation (Economist, a British publication often makes these references) gets surpassed in green tech by any country with an average income that is closer to 3rd world than 1st world.
On the where to install the solar cells, I agree that it would undoubtedly be better to have these on the house, especially if you work the day shift, there still might be weekends that it's in the garage and early-morning/late-evening sun you are missing out on. Maybe you work in a city and park in a parking garage and it doesn't charge there. Also, maybe on the weekend you have this in your driveway, but at a certain point if your batter is full the cells are going to waste. At this point you probably think I'm agreeing with you, but, wait....put them everywhere you can if you can get the tech cheap enough. If this adds 1K in production costs (I would estimate more, but I don't know where the cost/tech will be in 2-4 years when this will be marketed and not at its infancy) then put them everywhere, on the roof and the car. Win-Win
God made the Universe, the earth, the heaven..... The rest was 'Made In China' !!
Solar panels just don't make sense on cars. They aren't angled properly and they are a liability with low return.
Besides, as someone from Texas, if you don't try to keep your vehicle out of the sun for most of the year, you are going to have expensive premature wear on anything rubber and plastic on the outside of the car... UV is bad, its a fact.
Make it electric with a small generator for longer trips, and make yourself a big solar panel on your garage if you like.
@Ducman69
There are hardly any garages in the city. Chinese or American cities both.
I know in the States there is much more room for houses with garages but it's not a solution in China.
Try not to doubt Chinese ingenuity. A lot of people don't see the good products that are made there because they are not exactly consumer orientated. For example, companies like Apple and Microsoft, they create popular awareness and people think.. "hm, America makes quality products." The Chinese just don't have that yet.
But you don't often see people buy large amounts of high-tech Chinese solar panels for their home.
The licence plate - 全球鷹, translated to - Global Hawk