Houston Community News >> Chinese Made Hybrids Coming Soon

8/19/2007-- In New York City, Miles Automotive Group is reportedly planning to manufacture a plug in hybrid, named XS 500 and release it to the masses by 2009. To experience the electric-driven Chinese-made sedan, it will cost you $30,000.

The electric car technology is no longer new news. But manufacturers have encountered problems with its expensive production and recently, the battery to be used.

Miles Rubin, founder of the Miles Automotive Group plans to change all that with his XS 500.

By cheaper production, the XS 500 is built to reach a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a range of 120 miles at 60 miles per hour. It's as fast as EV 1 car of General Motors (manufacturer of GMC front fender) in the late-90s.

Because the XS is Chinese made, it is of lower price. In China, labor cost is low and it keeps the price down. The advanced lithium ion battery is yielded by Miles Automotive from a state-sponsored research to Lishen Battery. The built in battery of the XS 500 only needs six hours of charging in an ordinary wall outlet.

It seems like XS 500 is one perfect car, but like all other it's likely that it will confront some setbacks.

First on the list is introducing the car to the industry. Before marketing to the United States, the XS 500 will undergo test driving, battery testing and they are required to get safety approval from U.S. regulators. According to Rubin, by fall, he'll be having 6 prototypes of the XS 500.

Another problem is competition. Miles Automotive Group's closest competitors are the Phoenix Motors and the Tesla Motors, both on their way of entering the plug-in sedan market.

Plus, the big American motor companies with their blossoming plug-in hybrids that uses both electricity and gasoline to power their vehicles as their edge.

"But the world has changed," said Rubin.

"We need to get off our reliance on oil and we need to alter our carbon footprint."

Chinese goods had long been questioned of their quality; it is another addition to the list. To resolve this, Rubin said that there are inspectors in both Chinese factories that will manufacture the car. He also emphasized the safety features of the car with its reinforced doors and both front and side airbags.

"The cars will speak for themselves. You can PR it to death, but if it doesn't perform well, it's dead on arrival," he said.

(Evander Klum is a Business Administration graduate who hails from Alabama. He enjoys extreme sports and he is also a car racing fanatic. At present, he works as a marketing manager at an advertising agency in Cleveland)