Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which owns Volvo Cars and England's traditional London taxi maker, plans to invest US$5bn in a new manufacturing hub for new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in China's eastern province of Zhejiang.

The automaker signed an agreement this week with the Changxing county local government to build a new assembly plant and an adjacent industrial park for the production of key components such as gearboxes and other driveline components.

The first stage of construction is scheduled to begin in October of this year.

NEVs comprise mainly electric and hybrid powered vehicles, sales of which increased by 54% to 777,000 units last year. This included 468,000 all electric passenger vehicles and a further 198,000 all electric commercial vehicles. Plug-in hybrid passenger vehicles accounted for a further 111,000 units

The Chinese central government has set ambitious targets for NEV sales with traditional internal combustion engine passenger vehicles expected eventually to be phased out altogether.

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers expects sales of NEVs to increase to around 1m units this year, rising to 2m by 2020.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

By 2025 it expects NEVs to account for 20% of total vehicle sales in the country.