China international green vehicle exhibition hosts Volkswagen, Nissan, Toyota

(AFP PHOTO/Peter PARKS)

Volkswagen, Nissan and Toyota go green at an auto exhibition in Shanghai, June 17-19.

The China international green vehicle and design exhibition organized by Grace Fair, also referred to as Green Vehicle Expo, will take place at the Shanghai Expo. The exhibition focuses on green automotive technology, and European car makers are hoping to have a big presence at this year's show. Numerous ecologically friendly vehicles including hybrid, pure electric, solar panel and hydrogen cars will be on display as China tries to promote the use of green technology. Volkswagen, Europe's largest car manufacturer is expected to play a big part at the exhibition showcasing their 'Blue motion' electric car technology.

The Shanghai exhibition comes shortly after the Beijing auto show, which took place in April and was a site of competition between domestic and foreign manufacturers in their bid to provide green cars to China's population. Nissan, which plans to start manufacturing the Nissan Leaf in China, General Motors and Toyota were among some of the foreign exhibitors competing with BYD and the Shanghai Auto Industry Corporation.

In an attempt to increase the demand for green automotive technology, the Chinese government has recently announced plans to subsidize purchases of energy efficient vehicles and energy saving electric cars. However the government has yet to confirm when these subsidies will come into place. Chinese Car Company BYD is also set to launch its first mass produced electric car called the E6, which is currently being trialed in a number of taxi firms in Shenzhen. In response to the E6's expected public launch in August, the Chinese government has created a series of recharging stations throughout the city.

Keen to change its image as a major polluter, this is the latest in a series of green policies the Chinese government has implemented over the past decade.

According to the international energy agency (www.iea.org) the transport sector is responsible for almost 60 percent of oil consumption in OECD countries and is one of the biggest reasons for the continuing demand for oil.

www.gracefair.com