Taiwan-based Automaker China Motor to Push e-PTWs

Taipei, Dec. , 2009 (CENS)--Taiwan-based car maker China Motor Corp., local assembler of Mitsubishis and Chryslers, will launch electric PTWs in 2010 so as to make market differentiation with its parent company Yulon Motor Co.

Industry insiders said recently that China Motor has completed development and tests of electric scooter models, which would be mass produced in the first quarter of 2010 and marketed globally under the CMC own-brand.

In Taiwan, the CMC electric scooters would be vended through China Motor's existing automobile sales points or other newly recruited distributors.

A distributor will sell CMC's electric scooters in Taiwan said that the e-scooters are powered by lithium-ion batteries and the motor can generate horsepower performance similar to a 50cc internal combustion engine (ICE) scooter model.

Industry sources said that CMC tried to compress the prices of lithium-ion power cells used in its e-scooters and made its e-scooters priced between NT$50,000 to NT$60,000 (US$1,538 to US$1,846 at US$1: NT$32.5). With a NT$8,000 (US$246) subsidy provided by the government (for e-scooters pass requirements), CMC's e-scooter are expected to win some interest from 50cc mini-scooter consumers.

CMC also plans to push both lithium-ion and lead-acid e-bicycle products so as to target at the booming e-bike market in Europe.

Yulon Motor, the local assembler of Nissan car models and the flagship firm of Yulon Group, has been actively developing electric vehicles, including battery electric vehicle (BEV) and hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) models.

Industry sources said that China Motor chose to develop electric two-wheeler products that wouldn't lead to direct competition with parented Yulon Motor. The sources also added that a senior official of China Motor has been aggressively evaluating the e-scooter business and trying to find qualified parts suppliers in both Taiwan and China.