Jilin Province Plans to Add Capacity for Additional 1 Million Vehicles Within 3 Years

SHANGHAI, Mar. 8 (SMM) -- In order to accelerate development of the local automobile industry, Jilin province, located in Northeast China, plans to increase annual automobile manufacturing capacity by 1 million vehicles/year within three years time, bringing total vehicle capacity above 2 million vehicles/year.  In addition, the local government will increase support for new hybrid automobiles, in order to enhance its production scale. 

Jilin province plans to base new economic growth around traditional as well as emerging industrial advantages, and development of the automobile industry is an important component.   According to the plan, the local government, relying on FAW Group will promote FAW-Volkswagen's PQ35 and PQ46 platforms, expand construction of FAW's own brands, build a new production base for FAW trucks, as well as support construction of Zhongxing Group's new 200,000 vehicle project.  In addition,  a close cooperative relationship will be developed  with Volkswagen, Mazda, and other major automobile companies.  The province's self-innovation and development system will be enhanced by developing self-owned brands of Hongqi and Benteng, and by adding the capacity to produce an additional 1 million vehicles/year in three years time, which will have production value of RMB 84 billion.  Vehicle capacity in the province will reach up to 1.44 million/year in 2010, with production value of RMB 220 billion. 

With regard to new energy-use automobiles, Jilin Province will promote production of hybrid and electric vehicles.  In the next three years, the annual capacity of Toyota Prius will grow to 3,000 vehicles, and FAW's hybrid and electric buses up to 1,000 vehicles. By 2012, new production value of new-energy vehicles in Jilin Province should reach RMB 1.8 billion.

As automobile capacity in China expands, demand for lead-acid batteries will also grow.  In 2010, development of the electric vehicle sector will accelerate under government policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions and developing environmentally friendly technologies.   At present, batteries used in electric vehicles are lead-acid cells.  Despite challenges from nickel-cadmium and lithium batteries, the outlook for lead-acid batteries with higher recycling rates will be bright if the current disadvantages of low recharging rates and short service life can be overcome.

(Edited by SMM)