Yulon Unveils Luxgen-brand Electric-car Prototype

Taipei, Oct. 22, 2008 (CENS)--Yulon Group of Taiwan, the largest automaker on the island, recently unveiled a prototype of its electric vehicle jointly developed with AC Propulsion (ACP) of the United States and leading information technology (IT) firms in Taiwan, such as High Tech Computer Corp. (HTC) and Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd.

Yulon claimed that after commercialization in two years, the new electro-vehicle would be the world's first "intelligent electric car," which will be sold under its own Luxgen brand.

Kenneth Yen, chairman of Yulon, introduced the electro-car to Ma Ying-jeou, President of Taiwan, and Guatemala President Alvaro Colom, who called upon the Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center Co. Ltd. (HAITEC) under the Yulon Group. HAITEC has been working on Yulon's own-brand cars for few years, and first debuted the intelligent prototype to the public.

President Ma helped Yulon announce the first Luxgen-brand vehicle (powered by traditional gasoline engine) would be mass produced in 2009 and sold worldwide.

Yen stressed that electric-cars would be Luxgen brand's core product in the highly competitive global automobile market. Yulon also disclosed that all the key parts for the electro-car, including motors, batteries, controllers etc., would be produced in Taiwan.

According to Yen, the Luxgen integrates Yulon's long-established automobile-production technologies, the energy technology from ACP, and IT technology, making it a unique, intelligent vehicle in the market.

To prove the prototype's high performance, Yulon showed a short video of ACP's electric sport-car prototype racing and leaving behind the Porsche 911, a hallmark of performance cars.

Liu Yi-chen, president of HAITEC, disclosed that the road-going Luxgen would accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometer per hour in only eight seconds, exceeding other gasoline-engine counterparts in the same segment.

Hu Kai-chang, president of Luxgen Automobile Co., Ltd., announced that the Luxgen electric car would be sold in Taiwan in two years, despite incomplete recharging infrastructure on the island.