SAIC Passenger Automobile and taxi company eHi Car Services have officially signed a strategic partnership agreement in Shanghai, auto.qq.com reported today. According to the agreement, eHi will purchase over 1,000 Roewe new electric vehicles from SAIC. The purchase will consist of 550 PLUG-IN hybrid sedans and E50 pure electric sedans.
The government has been issuing a series of policies to encourage widespread use of new energy vehicles in China. The agreement between SAIC and eHi (pictured above) looks to help propel the new energy vehicle market even further. It marks an important milestone in the development of the new energy vehicle market in the country.
At the signing ceremony, Wang Xiaoqiu, president of SAIC Group and general manager of SAIC Passenger Automobile, stated that his company is aiming to lead development of the new energy vehicle industry by continuing to invest in R&D, manufacturing and marketing work. The Roewe E50 pure electric, 550 PLUG-IN hybrid (pictured below) and Roewe fuel battery models are all key in SAIC's development.
Mr. Wang also emphasized the importance of the taxi market in aiding development of the new energy vehicle industry. Mr. Wang remarked: "The taxi industry and new energy automobiles are linked together; the taxi industry plays an important [role] in broadening the new energy vehicle market. SAIC Passenger Automobile and eHi Car Services' cooperation will help increase the popularity of new energy automobiles and promote development of the new energy vehicle industry."
Zhang Ruiping, founder, board chairman and CEO of eHi, stated that SAIC and eHi possess a healthy working relationship. He commented that two companies had already begun exploring the prospect of using Roewe E50 pure electrics as taxis as early as last year, and had already reached a common consensus on the state of the market. eHi is the first company in China to explore the idea of using new energy vehicles for its taxi fleet, and is clearly a leader in the emerging market. Mr. Wang comments: "eHi has been very impressed by SAIC's leading technology, dependable product quality and comprehensive after sales service, and guarantee that we can ensure our customers the best service possible. This first purchase of 1,000 vehicles is only the beginning; our partnership with SAIC will continue to intensify. We believe that this partnership will be crucial in helping the domestic new energy automobile market develop."
eHi possesses China's largest taxi service network. Its operations cover over 90 Chinese cities. The company is also taking considerable steps to develop charging infrastructure to support its operations throughout the country.
