Chinese ramp up U.S. presence

Published 7:16 pm Monday, January 12, 2009

DETROIT — Chinese automakers looking to make the jump to the key U.S. market are facing increasingly strong headwinds, including a global financial crisis that has slowed growth where they already sell cars and sapped the potential for partnerships that would ease their expansion.

But BYD Auto Co. and Brilliance Auto are making China’s most prominent appearance yet at this year’s North American International Auto Show — sandwiched between General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co.’s displays, instead of tucked away in the basement or outside the main exhibits. And they remain interested in eventually selling in the U.S., although that looks to be years away.

Henry Z. Li, general manager of BYD’s auto export trade division, said the company has set a target of 2011 to sell two models that it’s showing in Detroit — the e6, which is an all-electric crossover with a 250-mile range, and the F6DM, a plug-in hybrid sedan. By then, he said, BYD hopes to sell the Chinese-built vehicles in a market that’s recovered from its current slide.

Shenyang-based Brilliance Auto is the other Chinese automaker at this year’s show and has four vehicles on display. Brilliance sells its Zhonghua brand of vehicles and builds, among other lines, the 3 Series and 5 Series for Germany’s BMW AG to sell in China.

Brilliance Auto doesn’t have a time frame to sell in the U.S. but is at the show to gauge interest in its vehicles.