Shanghai (ZXZC)- Zeng Qinghong, chairman of GAC Group said at an interview on Jan. 23 that GAC was in talks with Chinese and foreign battery producers and planned to jointly invest and build a battery factory at its headquarters Guangzhou. But he declined to provide more details for it.

Chinese government now is mulling a timetable to ban fossil-fuel-powered vehicles. Under this situation, GAC Group started to seek cooperation with battery producers, aiming to make sure the sufficiency of battery supply. Zeng Qinghong emphasized that the company must spare no efforts to ensure the sustainable EV battery supply for the development of NEVs.

Compared with other carmakers, GAC Group didn't stride into NEV area very early. It sets a sales target of 200,000 units for low and zero-emission vehicles by 2020. In fact, GAC started to research and develop power battery system in 2011. Now, it has started to construct a factory with an annual NEV capacity of 200,000 units at an industry park in Guangzhou, and also expects to set up a battery manufacturing factory in this industry park. According to the official written reply of the company, the NEV factory will be put into production by the end of this year.