Japan's Honda Motor Co. said Thursday it will start selling hybrid cars later this year in China where there is growing interest in energy efficient vehicles to help combat severe pollution.
Dongfeng Honda Automobile, a joint venture between Honda and Dongfeng Motor of China, will start selling Honda's Civic hybrid cars in China by the end of 2007, a Honda spokeswoman said.
"We will initially export hybrid Civics from Japan to China. Local production is one option for the future but there is no specific plan for it yet," she said.
Toyota Motor Corp. was the first foreign car maker to produce hybrid autos in China in late 2005 with its Prius model, which is sold at 288,000 yuan to 302,000 yuan (37,400-39,200 dollars).
The Honda official said they have not decided a price for the hybrid Civic.
But a Dongfeng official told AFP in June that the hybrid Civic "will have a price advantage against Toyota's Prius" in China.
Hybrid vehicles, which deliver power by switching between a gasoline (petrol) engine and an electric motor, can save up to 30 percent on fuel costs but they are more expensive than conventional models.
Honda Motor sold a record 323,469 automobiles in China in 2006, up 25.9 percent.
But the company has acknowledged that competition is fierce in China as more automakers look to sell cars in what is emerging as the world's second largest auto market after the United States.
周二，日本本田汽车公司宣布准备于本年底开始在中国销售混合汽车。为了对抗严重的环境污染，中国对节能汽车的关注日渐增长。本田女发言人称，007年底，本田和中国东风汽车厂的合资企业东风-本田汽车公司准备在中国销售本田民用混合汽车她说：“刚开始从日本向中国出口混合汽车。日后可能进行本地化生产，但是目前没有做出纤细规划。” 丰田是首家在中国生产混合汽车的外国汽车厂商。它于2005年底推出首款混合车型Prius，售价在288 000元到302 000元之间（合37 400-39 200美元）。本田官方称，尚未决定混合汽车的价格混合汽车的能量由汽油和电动机交替产生，可以节约高达百分之三十的燃料费，但是汽车价格要比传统车型昂贵。 2006年，本田在中国创下了323 469辆汽车的销售记录，上升了25.9%。但是该公司也表示，随着中国成为仅次于美国的汽车市场，越来越多的厂商把目光转向这里，竞争十分激烈。
