Tianjin, 27 September 2010 - Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (SSTEC) and eleven leading international and local corporations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form an Eco-City New Energy Vehicle Alliance to drive early adoption of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in China.
This alliance is aimed at developing a comprehensive suite of solutions to drive the early adoption of electric vehicles in the Tianjin Eco-City, which can subsequently be replicated and adopted for other cities in Northern China. The focus of the Eco-City New Energy Vehicle Alliance will include implementing the use of Hybrid-Electric and Electric Vehicles, including EV charging solutions, management systems, development of an EV Hub, as well as other EV-related ancillary services. Besides the use of EVs for green public transport, the alliance aims to promulgate its use in green private transport modes through commercial car leasing and private car ownership.
The founding members of the Eco-City New Energy Vehicle Alliance comprises leading international and local players from the EV industry, including auto manufacturers, charging infrastructure, EV drive train, battery storage and operations, as well as vehicle leasing. These companies are namely: Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH (asola), ALP Energy, Bakai Electrics, Chery New Energy Automobile Technology Co., Ltd, China BAK Battery, Inc., Hitachi Ltd, Lianghao Car Rental, ST Kinetics, Tianjin Electric Power Corporation, Xiamen King Long United Automotive Industry Co., Ltd; and Xu Ji Group Corporation.
Mr Goh Chye Boon, CEO of SSTEC said, “The Eco-City New Energy Vehicle Alliance is the path-finding first step towards realising a future in which new energy vehicles will be the norm for both public and private transport in Eco-City and surrounding regions. The Tianjin Eco-City is an ideal pioneering platform to develop and execute an integrated, large-scale new energy vehicles transport system. With the strong support of our partners and the local authorities, we will fulfil our vision of developing a complete green city transport system, harnessing the full benefits of EVs for a sustainable lifestyle. Over the longer term, we see EVs as the basic ingredients for eco-living.”
Mr Sew Chee Jhuen, President of ST Kinetics said, “ST Kinetics is committed to doing its part for the environment through our growing portfolio of eco-friendly electric and hybrid solutions which include hybrid hydraulic port prime movers and hybrid electric airport baggage tractors. The full electric and diesel-hybrid electric buses are further testaments to our efforts to provide environmentally friendly and yet commercially viable solutions towards a greener sustainable world.”
As a sustainable ecological city designed to be practical, scalable and replicable, it is essential for Tianjin Eco-City to integrate urban planning and transport planning to reduce vehicles usage and promote the use of new-energy vehicles. SSTEC’s aim is to achieve a 90% rate of green trips within the development by 2020.
SSTEC will work closely with local authorities, alliance members and their partners to drive the development of a green transport system in the Eco-City. Together with the alliance partners, SSTEC will jointly develop a first of its kind EV Hub with customised facilities that cater to EV car sales, rental, maintenance and certification. In addition, it will serve as a research and development and training hub for the EV industry. This EV Hub will serve as a unique showcase and a platform to attract other green public and private transport investors into the Eco-City.
Several of the alliance members are already working with SSTEC to advance towards our ultimate goals.
Chery has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SSTEC to collaborate on EV Hub investments and services. The highlight of SSTEC’s collaboration with Chery will be the bundling of Chery electric vehicles with the sale of eco-homes. Besides Chery, SSTEC is working to bring in EVs from US, Europe and Japan soon.
Working as a strategic partner of SSTEC, Chery will also establish its Tianjin Binhai
New Area sales and technology support centre in the Eco-City to develop the EV Hub and explore the possibility of bundled marketing of its EV cars with eco-homes.
Xiamen King Long, in collaboration with Liang Hao Car Rental, ST Kinetics and Bakai Electrics, will be collaborating on hybrid-electric and electric buses, which will be used by SSTEC in and around Tianjin Eco City.
SSTEC has also signed a MOU with Tianjin Electric Power Corporation to develop a charging infrastructure system that will support the use of EVs amongst Eco-City’s future residents.
Together with SSTEC and its strategic partners, both parties will implement a seamless charging infrastructure for Eco-City’s residents.
In addition, the Eco-City New Energy Vehicle Alliance intends to establish a new-energy vehicle leasing company to serve the transport needs of current and future inhabitants of the Eco-City, in line with its goal to create a connected eco-community.
