Wuling's new energy vehicles big draw during G20

A total of 300 Wuling electric vehicles are busy plying the streets of Bali, Indonesia, serving as official shuttle vehicles for the G20 Summit between the airport, hotels and other venues.

Its four-seater Air evs are expected to save carbon emissions totaling 33 tons compared with gasoline-powered vehicles during their 12-day service period during the event, said their maker SGMW.

SGMW is a joint venture based in Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and set up by China's SAIC Motor, General Motors and Liuzhou Wuling Motors.

"Our appearance at the G20 Summit shows that Chinese brands have the ability to compete in the global new energy vehicle market," said Han Dehong, vice-president of SGMW's operations in Indonesia.

Other electric vehicles used during the summit are from South Korea's Hyundai and Japan's top automaker Toyota.

The Wuling Air evs were made by SGMW at its Bekasi production base in the Indonesian province of West Java. The model hit the local market in August as SGMW's first electric model to be sold overseas.

The automaker said it has received over 5,000 orders for the model, which is the most popular new energy vehicle in Indonesia.

Indonesia, as the largest vehicle market in Southeast Asia, expects the share of electric motorbikes and electric cars made in the country to reach 20 percent of total car production by 2025.

Indonesia is setting a 2025 deadline for all state-owned companies to use only electric vehicles as part of its goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2060, according to Bloomberg.

Han said the company will attract more Chinese suppliers to set up plants in Indonesia to beef up the local NEV industry.

SGMW's Bekasi base, with a total investment of $1 billion, started production in 2017, providing around 100,000 job opportunities for the locals.

Covering an area of 60 hectares, the base has now been developed into an auto industrial park, which involves a complete auto industrial chain.

After years of operations, Wuling has become one of the most popular Chinese auto brands in Indonesia, Han said.

According to SGMW, its sales in Indonesia reached 11,261 units in the first half, up 3 percent year-on-year.

SGMW said it will continue to expand its sales network in Indonesia and will export the electric Air ev model to other countries in the region.

The automaker said it is making every effort to advance its overseas activities, bring high-quality new energy vehicles and services to global car owners and demonstrate the high-tech capabilities of Chinese manufacturing.

As one of the most popular electric vehicle makers in China, SGMW has sold over 1 million new energy vehicles since it started to explore the segment in 2017. It is one of the fastest time frames for a brand to achieve such a milestone in the global NEV industry.