Chinese auto manufacturer Chang’an has unveiled the CS95 Concept vehicle at this year’s Shanghai Auto show that is taking place this week. The five-seater SUV measures 5380mm in length and 1770mm in height and has a 3330 mm-long wheelbase. It features a hybrid drive system consisting of a 3.5 liter V6 petrol engine producing 245hp and an electric motor developing 167hp. This rather large SUV features an eight speed automatic transmission and it will be the range-topping model for Chang’an.

Chinese car manufacturer Geely has unveiled their KC concept vehicle at this year Shanghai Auto show taking place this week. The futuristic concept vehicle was presented by design director Ma Zhengkun and Peter Horbury vice-president of design at Geely.  According to Geely “the KC concept is a fastback based sedan with its total length reaching 4690mm and a wheelbase of 2880mm. The exterior design borrows heavily from classical Chinese history points, from the front observers will note the strong shoulder lines that flow over the front wheel arch to give a sense of speed and elegance whilst the wide stance gives a feeling of strength and confidence in the vehicle. The KC makes use of daylight running lights to further enhance the strong lines, the headlights and grill combine to form a unified graphic which gives the impression of distinctive stone bridges which feature heavily in classical Chinese art. The fog lamps also take design cues from classical Chinese art, with them being similar in style to Chinese ornamentation to give a functional and aesthetic appeal.”

Source: WSJ

The Chinese car manufacturer BAIC that recently signed Nicolas Cage to promote one of their new vehicles, has unveiled the Concept 900 at this year’s Shanghai Auto Show. The vehicle showcases BAIC’s next generation design and it’s rumored to be based on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class platform and also powered by a V6 Mercedes engine. No other info has been provided on the vehicle and its unknown if it ever will see production.

Source: Chezhan

Chinese Geely Holding Group, current owner of Volvo, is in the leads in Fisker acquisition talks according to sources close with Fisker, reports Reuters news. Fisker is a US based electric vehicle maker that has ran into substantial problems in recent months with the bankruptcy of their battery supplier, A123 Systems.

Additionally another Chinese auto manufacturer, DongFeng Motors, is also interested in Fisker, however Geely is said to have the advantage due to their international expertise and experience with their own brand as well as Volvo and their recent acquisition of the London taxi maker Manganese Bronze.

Fisker is exploring the possibility of an all out acquisition or strategic partnership. Fisker currently produces the luxury car Karma but production of the car has been put on hold while the company negotiates a new supply agreement with the buyer of battery maker A123 Systems, China based Wangxiang Group. Additionally Fisker is planning the launch of a brand new model the Atlantic, featured below.

World leading electric bus and auto maker BYD has announced the setup of their very first production plant in the US. The Warren Buffet backed company has announced the news at their US headquarters in Los Angeles, planning to start operation in late 2013 with a capacity of 50 to 100 busses by 2014. The company plans to raise production to about 500 units by 2015 and the factory will be located in California as well, however the exact location has not been announced yet.

Currently BYD is the world leader in the production of electric buses with their K9 model that is already part of public transportation fleets in major European and Asian cities. In the US, the very first BYD electric buses will be part of Apple’s fleet at its headquarters as well as the Los Angeles International Airport and at Stanford University by as early as next month according to BYD senior vice-president, Li Ke.

German automaker Daimler AG (Mercedes) has announced the purchase of a 12% stake in the Chinese auto manufacturer BAIC. The investment worth $875 million US is ahead of a planned stock offering by the Chinese carmaker. Daimler and BAIC Motors already has a joint venture in China and this new investment will make Mercedes the first non Chinese automaker to take a stake in a Chinese OEM.

The deal is expcted to close at the end of this year, suggesting the publinc offering of BAIC will not take place prior. Mercedes is currently lagging behind its German rivals in China, with BMW and Volkswagen/Audi dominating the high end market.

“Daimler’s investment in BAIC’s stake will go a long way in accelerating the development of BAIC’s self-owned brand in terms of capital, technology, management, and brand. At the same time, this will help Mercedes-Benz to boost its business performance in China,” said Xu Heyi, Chairman of BAIC.

Source: reuters

Swedish car and truck manufacturer Volvo, currently owned by Chinese car manufacturer Geely, has announced the purchase of 45% of Dongfeng Motors. Dognfeng is the largest Chinese truck manufacturer, which is state owned and this deal will make Volvo the largest truck manufacturer in the world.

“We will jointly develop new trucks, new engines that can meet the latest emission standards, as well as transmissions, all under the Dongfeng brand,” according to Dongfeng President Zhu Fushou. “Dongfeng and  Volvo will share resources in suppliers, manufacturing and international sales to achieve the best synergy.”

The joint venture is still pending government approval and it’s expected to be completed within the next 12 months. China is currently the world’s largest market for heavy trucks, surpassing European and North American sales combined.

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD has announced plans to build a production facility in Bulgaria, with a 50/50 joint venture with Bulgarian energy giant Bulmineral Ltd. The plant will be built in Breznik a small town about 50 km west of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The plant is expected to be operational by February 2013 with a planned production of 40-60 electric buses when fully operational.

BYD is a world leader in electric cars and buses and counts Warren Buffet among its investors. BYD’s electric buses are currently operating in major cities around the world with plans to set up its first electric bus manufacturing plant in North America, in the town of Windsor, Canada.

BYD is the second Chinese car manufacturer to set up production Bulgaria, with Great Wall Motor opening their plant this past February.

Volvo, currently owned by Chinese car manufacturer Geely, has announced an $11 billion investment in upgrades with about half of it spent in Sweden on production upgrades.  Volvo aims to increase yearly sales to 800,000 units by 2020 from the current 400,000 vehicles per year. The investment in Sweden will be to upgrade current production and also to develop new models.

“This is testament to our determination to strengthen the firm’s position as a Swedish car brand with a unique attraction on a global market,” said Hakan Samuelsson, Volvo Car’s chief executive.

Volvo did not specify where the other half of the $11 billion will be spent, however it is excepted that a major focus will be the Chinese market, which recently became the largest auto market in the world.

Source: Reuters