Exploding Electric Vehicles Test New Energy Policy
July 22, 2011 No CommentsOn July 18, an electric bus, No.852 combusted spontaneously near Zhongshan Park in Shanghai. The bus was made by Shanghai Leibo New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd. (Leibo New Energy). “A problem with the battery caused spontaneous combustion,” said Yan Yuan, vice manager of Leibo New Energy. On July 19, the city government removed all buses based on the same technology replaced by diesel vehicles.
State Council Prime Minister Wen Jiabao wrote an article in the latest edition of Seeking Truth Magazine that it is still unclear about the direction and goal of electric vehicles; it is also unclear whether hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle technologies are mature enough yet [for public use].
According to QQ News, bus maker Leibo New Energy investors include East China Power Grid Company, Shanghai Electric Power Company and Shanghai Ruihua Co,. Ltd. Over 13 provinces – including Beijing, Guangzhou and Xinjiang – are cooperating with Leibo New Energy. But this is not the first accident for Leibo New Energy. In January of 2010 two electric vehicles exploded in Urumqi.
“Battery lives of electric vehicles are too short. New batteries can run for 200 kilometers, but a year and a half later the batteries can only run for 120 kilometers. The cost of buttery upkeep is high. One electric bus needs to spend RMB 600,000 on each battery,” said Luo Qinghua, a battery manufacturer in Shenzhen.
Electric Vehicles
