Life at Shaolin Temple

Ford Plans to double its Chinese Market Presence in all Segments

Since November 2009, China is the world’s top car market, surpassing the US. So it’s only natural for automakers to pay their utmost attention. Among others, BMW previewed the new M5, Peugeot the 508, Nissan the new Tiida and Audi the Q3 at the Shangai Motor Show . The most recent example is Ford, which is planning to more than double its model line-up in the Chinese market according to a senior company executive.

“If you think of the marker as small cars, medium cars, large cars, SUVs, performance vehicles, all those different pieces, we compete in about 22% of that market today," Will Periam, strategy director for Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa, told Reuters during a recent industry forum in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

"In the future, we expect to compete in about 50%. And that will be by new versions of the products we have and all-new products which aren’t here today,” he added.

Periam also revealed that most of the models that Ford plans to introduce to China, such as the new Focus sedan and the Kuga, will be built at its local plant.

Ford is currently manufacturing the Focus, Mondeo, C-MAX and Fiesta in cooperation with Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. and Mazda Motoe, and its Transit van with Jianling Motors, in which Ford has a 30% stake.

However, Ford missed last year’s boom when a record 18 million vehicles were sold in China, thanks in no small part to government tax incentives and subsidies. But this year the incentive plan has ended and the booming Chinese market has seen its booming sales rate decrease.

Secretary General of China Association of Automobile Manufactures reduced his estimate for 2011 sales growth considerably, from a 10-15% forecast to just 5%. Even so, Ford has increased this year its January to July sales by 13%, to 306,830 vehicles, compared to the same period in 2010, and Ford’s Periam estimates that China car sales will reach 32 million by 2020.

Story source: Reuters

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Buick Launces eAssist Version of LaCrosse in China

The LaCrosse, Buick’s mid-size sedan offering, is doing quite well in China with 215,000 deliveries in the first seven months of the year alone. Now General Motors is adding the eAssist mild-hybrid version to the LaCrosse's Chinese line-up and is taking orders in 25 pilot cities, with the first cars scheduled for delivery in September.

The eAssist mild hybrid system combines a 2.4-liter direct injection gasoline engine and a 115V lithium-ion battery pack along with a 15 kW generator. The latter charges the battery and offers electric power assistance during heavy acceleration. The eAssist LaCrosse also has an auto stop/start system, with the battery pack powering all of the car’s systems when the vehicle is stopped.

Improved underbody aerodynamics, active grille shutters that close at higher speeds to optimize airflow and low-resistance tires contribute further to fuel saving.

Average consumption is claimed to be 20% lower than that of the conventionally powered version, at 7.2 lt/100 km (32.6 mpg), and drops more than 30% in city driving.

Prices in China are start at RMB 265,900 (US$41,700) for the Elegant version and at RMB 285,900 (US$44,800) for the Luxury Elegant model.

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Surging tide of Qiantang River, China

The Qiantang river, running from the west to the Hangzhou Bay, is known for its tidal bore, caused by the tide rushing into the river from the bay.

The tide bore generally travels up more than 10 meters high. It is very dangerous but also creates the marvelous spectacle! Annually, lots of people from both home and abroad are attracted there to watch this natural wonder, and in Hangzhou, citizens living aroud the Qiantang River hold various activities to celebrate the International Tide Watching Festival, which opens August 16 in the Chinese Lunar Calendar every year.

In these days, the typhoon hit Southeast China, and TV stations flocked there to shoot the natural wonder. At 1 pm August 30, 2011, a female reporter and photographer from Hangzhou Satellite TV Station were almost washed away by the surging tide, even though they were at the security center for tide-watching. Check out the photos.