Dongfeng Shows Two Hybrids Nearing Production

19 September 2005

The 6100 Hybrid Bus

China Daily. At an exhibition in Beijing, the Wuhan-based Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Company, a joint venture company of Dongfeng Automotive, showed off two hybrid prototypes nearing production and introduction to China’s market.

The first, the Dongfeng 6110, is a diesel hybrid bus, originally developed for public transportation during the Olympic Games in 2008. With a top speed of 80 km/h (50 mph) it consumes 30% less fuel than a conventional counterpart.

The company plans to begin small-scale production of the bus by the end of this year.

The other prototype, the EQ7200 hybrid sedan, which is based on the Nissan Bluebird sedan (Nissan and Dongfeng signed a joint venture agreement in 2000), will go into production next year.

With a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph), the EQ7200 consumes some 19% less fuel than its conventional counterpart.

The hybrids are developed internally—Dongfeng says it owns full intellectual property rights to the hybrid powertrains.

Dongfeng also has established a partnership with Li Sun Power, a unit of Shenzhen-based Industries International, for lithium-ion batteries to power its hybrids and full EVs.

Dongfeng originally won a bid from the 863 Program, China’s high-tech research and development program, to develop hybrid vehicles in 2001.

More details to come.