Liu Minxia

    mllmx@msn.com

    SEVERAL new-energy vehicles unveiled at Shenzhen’s ongoing auto show are drawing crowds to the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center where more than 100 auto brands are showcasing around 1,300 new models.

    China’s electric vehicle leader, BYD Co., unveiled its much-anticipated dual mode electric SUV, the Tang, at the nine-day 2015 Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao International Auto Show, which will run through Sunday. Selling for 279,800 yuan (US$45,500) and 519,800 yuan, the plug-in hybrid SUV is expected to soon become the world’s best-selling plug-in vehicle, the Shenzhen carmaker said.

    BYD said the Tang will leave its previous plug-in model, the best-selling Qin, in the dust. After deducting government incentives, the Tang model can be bought for as little as 210,000 yuan.

    Tesla Motors, the world’s best-known electric car brand, is exhibiting at the fair for the first time and brought its S P85D model.

    “In April, we joined the Shanghai auto show, and that was the first time we showcased at a Chinese car fair. Now, this is the first time for us to be present at a regional auto show in China,” Ke Xin, sales manager of Tesla’s South China division.

    Toyota Motor Corp. used all its booths at the fair to showcase its new-energy vehicles, including its FT-HT and TS030 Hybrid.

    Encouraged by central and local government incentives, new-energy vehicle sales in China increased by more than 300 percent last year from a year earlier to more than 70,000 cars sold, according to statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

    “We hope more investors, including private investors, will join in constructing charging pile networks and push for the development of the new-energy industry,” said Ke.

    Meanwhile, Shenzhen’s restriction on car purchases didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of potential buyers of luxury cars. Analysts expect that at least 100,000 “yellow standard cars,” or vehicles that fail to meet the European No. 1 standard for exhaust emissions, will fall into disuse this year in Shenzhen, which will lead to a rise in luxury car sales.