The international debate about the potential impacts of global warming increasingly moves beyond the science into the economics of emission reduction and our strategies.

Both the the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the 1997 Kyoto accords promoted international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, the United States Climate Change Action Plan established the goal of reducing GHG emissions to their 1990 levels by the year 2000.

Most global warming experts agree that significant actions are necessary to achieve this goal since U.S. GHG emissions already have risen 8% between 1990 and 1996, as strong economic growth and declining energy prices caused energy use to increase.

While ultimately an international issue, private companies are increasingly active in climate change discussions. The key reason is that the federal government is seeking to use market-based approaches for implementing initiatives to reduce environmental emissions including greenhouse gases. If well designed, these market-based approaches to emission reductions will create competitive markets where energy efficiency based emission reductions can compete directly with other sources. These markets will give emission reductions from energy efficiency a market value and create an added revenue stream for energy efficiency projects. This added revenue steam will allow more energy efficiency measures to be included in energy savings performance contracting projects.

One such project which could have far reaching emission reduction has had a slow but ever-expanding progressive history and that is the hybrid vehicle.

Fuel conservation and emissions reductions are the claim to fame of hybrid vehicles. These advantages are primarily achieved by three elements of a typical hybrid design:

1. An engine and an electric motor for a high and low power needs is provided, resulting in a smaller engine, fuel efficiency and lower weight, provide locomotion
2. A greater battery storing capacity reuses recaptured energy, especially in stop-and-go traffic, which is common development in urban driving
3. Regenerative braking captures and converts kinetic energy into electricity

Additionally ‘hybrid’ features commonly include:

1. Shutting down the engine during traffic stops or while coasting or idle periods
2. Improving aerodynamics
3. Low rolling resistance
4. Powering accessories electrically like the a/c, power steering, and auxiliary pumps as and when needed

In addition, noise emissions are reduced, particularly at idling and low operating speeds, in comparison to conventional engine vehicles.

The hybrid vehicle started with Ferdinand Porsche as described at CarPool and their recent work of The Evolution of the Hybrid Car.

Believe it or not, interest in greener options for motoring in China is gathering pace as the country works towards reducing pollution levels. The standard view of China amongst many people is that it is a country pursuing economic growth at whatever the social and economic cost to the environment. The country is undoubtedly dogged by some of the worst air and water pollution from unregulated economic activity, however with a burgeoning middle class, maintaining the environmental quality might be the key to ensuring environmentally sustainable solutions are applied in China.

China is currently embarking on what it has called a ‘New Energy’ project. It seems they have realized that in spite of striking deals somewhat on the quiet in Africa for oil reserves, the price of oil continues to push skywards and that reliance on this most controversial of raw materials is clearly unsustainable. China continues to develop a power strategy based on relatively cheap and plentiful domestic coal reserves. However it is also investing in nuclear power in line with a desire to improve the quality of the environment.

What does this mean for the development of hybrid cars in China? The combination of a shying away from oil at a political level and having a continuing rise in disposable incomes means that the country could end up being the world’s biggest market for battery powered cars. It’s estimated that there could be 2.2 million vehicles on Chinese roads by 2020. This is a good example of a technology quantum leap. A similar thing is taking place in Africa as millions of Africans now own a mobile phone having never had a land-line. For China this means that millions of motorists go directly from conventional cars to pure battery vehicles, bypassing the hybrid versions altogether. Pure battery vehicles should be ideal for China because most motorists drive in urban areas rather than make long journeys.

While this may not, on the face of it, be great news for the hybrid market per se, there is going to be some time before pure battery cars are available to meet the demand of millions of new car consumers in China. So there is a window of opportunity for hybrid manufacturers.

Toyota is planning to start production of low-emission cars in China along with Geely Automobiles and Dongfeng Motor Group who plan to start production of electric and hybrid vehicles by the end of 2012. The latter has a target of selling 100,000 electric cars by 2015. Ford has also announced plans to introduce a test fleet of electric vehicles to the Chinese market later this year. There’s something of a scramble among both domestic and international car companies to get a toe-hold in the market for low emission cars.

It will be interesting to see if the Chinese authorities, having committed themselves to improving their environmental record, are willing to offer incentives to both individuals and companies to make sure it happens. Or will there be preferential treatment for domestic manufacturers to the detriment of Chinese consumers?

• The Evolution of the Hybrid Car
• Examples of Popular Hybrid Models
• Why Hybrid Cars are so Popular
• Barriers to Greater Hybrid Uptake

You Are Here Hybrid Car Developments in China

• Current Car Manufacturer Developments
• Hydrogen Power as an Alternative to the Hybrid

Written by Mark Evans
Edited by Stanley Butler
Illustrations by Julianne Harnish
Video Engineering by Aaron Peters
Video Production by IMEX Marketing

Executive Producers
International Tuition Services Ltd
Spheri Dot CA Incorporated