SHANGHAI, Sept. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- eHi Car Services
has entered into a strategic partnership with SAIC Motor, the
largest automotive manufacturer in China and a Global Fortune 500 company. This
relationship starts with a first order of thousands of vehicles
including Roewe E50 electric vehicles and Roewe 550 plug-in
electric hybrid vehicles.
Recently, the Chinese government has released several
stimulating policies such as a waiver of sales tax and free license
plates to further develop the electric vehicle industry in
China. The industry is growing
rapidly, and the alliance of eHi and SAIC is a milestone, signaling
the bright future of China's
electric vehicle industry.
Xiaoqiu Wang, Vice President of
SAIC, said during the signing ceremony, "As the first Chinese
automaker who strategically planned the development of alternative
energy vehicles, SAIC has been focusing on R&D, manufacturing
and production. Currently, SAIC offers Roewe E50 EV, Roewe 550
PLUG-IN HYBRID, Roewe 750 FUEL-CELL, and other alternative energy
vehicles. Other than having government support, it is more
important to create an active market demand for electric vehicles
in China. We believe the alliance
of eHi and SAIC can help promote electric vehicle adoption as well
as the electric vehicle industry in China."
Ray Zhang, eHi's founder and CEO,
mentioned that eHi has been maintaining a great relationship with
SAIC. "Both parties have been working together on the rental
service of electric vehicles since 2013. The successful
collaboration is on a strong foundation for this strategic
partnership," said Ray Zhang. "We
are very impressed by SAIC's leading technologies, excellent
product quality and post-sale services. Our strategic partnership
will cover all SAIC product lines from existing vehicle models to
future models particularly in alternative energy vehicles. eHi will
actively participate in SAIC's product development and market
promotion. In turn, SAIC can leverage eHi's nationwide coverage to
offer consumers SAIC's latest products. We are looking forward to
adding SAIC's best-in-class products in our wide variety of
offerings to our valued customers through our online and offline
channels."
As a leading car rental services provider in China, eHi Car Services has the largest
directly-owned service network covering over 90 Chinese cities and
over 700 service locations. eHi has been providing EV rentals and
free charging service to its customers, and these services will be
available in more cities in China.
eHi's Roewe E50 EV rental has been well accepted by many
customers. This new round of EV acquisition is based on eHi's more
than a year of operating experience, data analysis and market
experiments.
SAIC released its Roewe 550 PLUG-IN model in March this year,
which has received very positive feedback. The car has a driving
range of more than 500 kilometers while reducing fuel consumption
by 70%. eHi is looking forward to the success of Roewe 550 PLUG-IN
in the rental car market because of the car's greater fuel
efficiency and better comfort level.
Some experts stressed that this strategic partnership between
eHi and SAIC is a great start to allow consumers to experience and
learn more about alternative energy vehicles given the growing
environmental concern in China. It
also helps in the building of EV charging infrastructure and
developing related technologies.
About eHi
eHi is the leading car rental and car service provider in the
fast growing market in China.
Founded in January 2006 with the goal
of providing comprehensive mobility services to both consumer and
corporate clients, eHi is the first car rental company utilizes the
latest information technology to achieve a complete service
delivery and vehicle management system in China. With its headquarter based in
Shanghai, eHi offers car rental
and car service nation-wide with more than 700 eHi outlets located
in more than 90 cities. eHi's fleet consists of more than 100
different vehicle types. During the past eight years since its
establishment, eHi has experienced a steady and rapid growth while
achieving industry leading vehicle utilization rate and brand-name
recognition. Today, eHi has become the designated car service
provider for most of the Fortune 500 companies that have operations
in China.
About SAIC Motors
SAIC Motor is the largest auto group on the Chinese A-share
stock market (Stock Code: 600104). By the end of 2013, SAIC's total
equity topped 11 billion units. SAIC Motor provides research,
production, sales and logistics services of vehicles (passenger
cars and commercial vehicles) and components (engines, gearboxes,
powertrains, chassis, interior and exterior and electronic
components). It also offers vehicle telematics, second-hand vehicle
transactions and auto finance services. SAIC's affiliated vehicle
companies include Morris Garages, SAIC Motor Commercial Vehicle Co,
Shanghai Volkswagen Co, Shanghai General Motors Co, Shanghai
General Motors Wuling (SGMW), NAVECO Ltd, SAIC-IVECO Hongyan and
Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corporation (SUNWIN). SAIC Motor has maintained
its dominant position in the domestic auto industry. In 2013, it
sold 5.11 million vehicles, an increase of 13.7 percent over the
past 12 months. In addition, it took in $92.02 billion in revenue that year and climbed
up the Fortune 500 list for the tenth year running, making its way
to 85th place from last year's 103rd.
SOURCE eHi