BEIJING: Daimler said its DENZA electric car will be eligible for local subsidies in China when it goes on sale there in September priced at 369,000 yuan ($60,000).
DENZA, a local Chinese brand jointly developed with Chinese partner BYD, forms part of the German auto maker’s push to expand its footprint in the world’s largest car market, and to boost economies of scale for electric cars. Speaking at Auto China, the car show held in Beijing yesterday, Thomas Weber, Daimler’s head of research and development, said: “DENZA is the first complete vehicle that Daimler has developed together with BYD outside of Germany.”
The 5-seater will be produced by Shenzen BYD Daimler New Technology, and will have an operating range of 300km. It said the average daily driving distance in China is 50 to 80 km a day, so customers will only have to charge the car twice a week. Rapid economic growth and urbanisation have turned China into the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, resulting in polluted cities and prompting the government to seek ways to promote low-emission vehicles in an effort to cut back smog. China has said it plans to have 5 million electric vehicles on the road by 2020 and has offered local subsidies for electric cars that have been developed locally. Reuters
