Hotai to introduce Prius hybrid vehicle in Taiwan

The nation's largest automaker, Hotai Motor Co (和泰汽車), which distributes Toyota and Lexus models in Taiwan, plans to introduce its first hybrid vehicle to the local market in the second quarter of next year, a company executive said yesterday.

"We plan to import the Prius hybrid passenger vehicle next year, which will be our first batch of hybrid cars locally available for commercial launch," said Frank Huang (黃正義), the firm's executive president.

Toyota was the first automaker in the industry to introduce a hybrid vehicle powered by a combination of gasoline and electricity, which decreases the vehicle's environmental impact and uses less fuel than conventional gasoline models.

While the price range for the different Prius models is still under evaluation, the cars are expected to sell for at least NT$1 million (US$30,000), he said.

More expensive

As hybrid cars are generally 50 percent more expensive than conventional models, a limited number of Prius vehicles will be available in Taiwan, Huang said.

The company said that it does not plan to import vehicles with diesel engines in the near term. According to Huang, diesel-powered vehicles compromise on speed, comfort and engine quietness compared with gasoline models, and the initial cost to vendors will be higher.

Diesel-powered vehicles are better suited for use as commercial vehicles or long-distance buses, rather than for use by the general public, he said.

Pondering diesel

However, Ford Lio Ho Motor Co (福特六和), Taiwan's fourth biggest automaker and a distributor of Ford cars, is currently studying the possibility of manufacturing its diesel cars locally.

It intends to introduce them to local buyers by the third quarter of next year, said Joanna Kao (高瑾馨), the firm's brand manager, in an interview on Sept. 7.

Hyundai Motor Co, meanwhile, said that sales of its diesel-based Trajet cars exceeded the company's initial target after being launched here in May. The company is confident of selling a total of 1,200 units by December, an official said.

Hotai Motor yesterday also unveiled its range of Vios compact cars for next year. Targeted at buyers in their 20s, the new models are priced around NT$442,000 to NT$522,000.

The Vios lineup has garnered total sales of more than 77,000 units since their launch in March 2003, translating into sales of around 2,600 units per month, Hotai president Daniel Chang (張重彥) said at the launch yesterday.