AFP, Frankfurt :
Traditional heavyweights Fiat, Peugeot and Volvo may have shunned this year’s Frankfurt auto show (IAA), but for Chinese and Taiwanese carmakers looking to make inroads in Europe the chance to step into the limelight was not to be missed.
Two years after becoming a surprise hit at the last IAA with an electric sedan concept car to rival Tesla’s Model S, Taiwanese upstart Thunder Power was back at Europe’s top industry showcase, which runs until September 24.
But this time there was no mistaking its ambitions.
Positioning itself a stone’s throw away from luxury brands Maserati and Ferrari, Thunder Power unveiled a second prototype, a high-end electric SUV with which it hopes to capture a slice of the booming 4×4 market.
“I’m not interested in gasoline cars. I want to build an electric car that is the best in the world,” said chief executive Wellen Sham.
The sedan is set for mass production in 2019, followed by the SUV a year later, he told AFP, adding that the firm already had a factory in China and planned to set up one in Spain.
Starting with Germany and Britain, Thunder Power eventually aims to sell 40,000 units a year in Europe, he said.
On the other side of the mammoth Frankfurt convention centre, fairgoers marvelled at the renaissance of storied German brand Borgward, which went under 50 years ago but was brought back to life in 2015 with the help of Chinese truck maker Beiqi Foton.
“We are coming to Europe this year,” said chief executive Ulrich Walker, adding that its limited-edition BX7 SUV, priced at around 45,000 euros ($53,000), will go on sale in Germany first before other models are launched across the continent.
Tapping into nostalgia for the brand’s heyday, Borgward also unveiled a sporty Isabella concept car inspired by a legendary 1950s coupe of the same name.
Traditional heavyweights Fiat, Peugeot and Volvo may have shunned this year’s Frankfurt auto show (IAA), but for Chinese and Taiwanese carmakers looking to make inroads in Europe the chance to step into the limelight was not to be missed.
Two years after becoming a surprise hit at the last IAA with an electric sedan concept car to rival Tesla’s Model S, Taiwanese upstart Thunder Power was back at Europe’s top industry showcase, which runs until September 24.
But this time there was no mistaking its ambitions.
Positioning itself a stone’s throw away from luxury brands Maserati and Ferrari, Thunder Power unveiled a second prototype, a high-end electric SUV with which it hopes to capture a slice of the booming 4×4 market.
“I’m not interested in gasoline cars. I want to build an electric car that is the best in the world,” said chief executive Wellen Sham.
The sedan is set for mass production in 2019, followed by the SUV a year later, he told AFP, adding that the firm already had a factory in China and planned to set up one in Spain.
Starting with Germany and Britain, Thunder Power eventually aims to sell 40,000 units a year in Europe, he said.
On the other side of the mammoth Frankfurt convention centre, fairgoers marvelled at the renaissance of storied German brand Borgward, which went under 50 years ago but was brought back to life in 2015 with the help of Chinese truck maker Beiqi Foton.
“We are coming to Europe this year,” said chief executive Ulrich Walker, adding that its limited-edition BX7 SUV, priced at around 45,000 euros ($53,000), will go on sale in Germany first before other models are launched across the continent.
Tapping into nostalgia for the brand’s heyday, Borgward also unveiled a sporty Isabella concept car inspired by a legendary 1950s coupe of the same name.
