
There is a competition to be the first one to produce electric cars and have them on the road.
China is trying to get on the track for this and they will try to produce 500,000 electric cars in the next two years. It might not sound much, but compared to the 2100 produced last year, it’s a great evolution.
One example of electric car made in China is the BYD Auto’s E6 electric vehicle shown at 2008 Beijing International Auto Show.
1. The safety and quality of Chinese cars’ is not enough for US market
2. Chinese batteries fail
3. The price is too high for domestic use
This is just a personal opinion, but I think that it’s only a temporary situation. Chinese are already working to improve their technology.
There is even an official agreement between the US Department of Energy and China’s Ministry of Science and Technology to promote the deployment of next generation car technologies in both countries.
I see this as a way to produce cheaper but good performing electric cars for the US market. I guess it’s just a matter of time until we can see the results on the streets.
The major Japanese companies are already on the way to largely produce hybrids, as an intermediary step before electric cars.