Houston Community News >> Chinese Car Company Looks to North America Market
4/19/2008-- Chinese auto companies
showcased new products at a car show in Beijing this week, intent on
changing the negative perception of their nation's growing auto
industry.
There are about 20 car companies in China, which turn out about eight million cars a year in total. Most are sold domestically but exports are slowly growing.
But Chinese cars are not driven on North American roads as safety and emission standards keep the vehicles off the continent.
Chinese car companies say they are making technological inroads though.
Take for example, young automotive company Geely's best selling car, the Zhi You Jian, or freedom vessel.
Last year's model horribly failed crash tests. In fact, a Russian car magazine referred to it as the "death vessel."
But the car company says it has remade the vehicle, and instead of looking to their international competition to copy their designs, they are making their own technological strides.
New features include a streamlined interior, improved steering over rough roads and a slowdown system that kicks in automatically if the car blows a tire.
Geely hopes to enter the North American market next year, and at a $7,000 price tag for its flagship vehicle, it will surely attract some attention among price-conscious consumers.
In 2006, Geely appeared at a car show in Detroit, the first Chinese car company to appear at a Motor City car show.
But Alysha Webb, of Automotive News Magazine, said that there are still serious quality control issues on Chinese car assembly lines and it will take a while for that reputation to improve.
"Knowing the penchant that China has for cutting corners sometimes, in order to save a penny here and a penny there . . . it's going to take time for them to change that," she said.
There are about 20 car companies in China, which turn out about eight million cars a year in total. Most are sold domestically but exports are slowly growing.
But Chinese cars are not driven on North American roads as safety and emission standards keep the vehicles off the continent.
Chinese car companies say they are making technological inroads though.
Take for example, young automotive company Geely's best selling car, the Zhi You Jian, or freedom vessel.
Last year's model horribly failed crash tests. In fact, a Russian car magazine referred to it as the "death vessel."
But the car company says it has remade the vehicle, and instead of looking to their international competition to copy their designs, they are making their own technological strides.
New features include a streamlined interior, improved steering over rough roads and a slowdown system that kicks in automatically if the car blows a tire.
Geely hopes to enter the North American market next year, and at a $7,000 price tag for its flagship vehicle, it will surely attract some attention among price-conscious consumers.
In 2006, Geely appeared at a car show in Detroit, the first Chinese car company to appear at a Motor City car show.
But Alysha Webb, of Automotive News Magazine, said that there are still serious quality control issues on Chinese car assembly lines and it will take a while for that reputation to improve.
"Knowing the penchant that China has for cutting corners sometimes, in order to save a penny here and a penny there . . . it's going to take time for them to change that," she said.
(Contributed by CTV.ca)