Taiwan, China may develop electric cars together

(AFP/Peter PARKS)

Taiwan and China are looking into developing electric cars together and will hold a conference here next week to seek areas where they can cooperate, a Taipei official said Monday.

The November 24-25 conference in the Taiwan capital is likely to attract more than 100 Chinese participants, mostly from the auto sector, according to the economics ministry official.

"We are eyeing the huge China market," she said. "We hope we can sign a memorandum of understanding in the meeting to pave the way for future development (of electric cars) together."

China has shown ambitions of becoming a leader in the production of more environmentally friendly electric cars.

One of the nation's new champions, BYD Auto, beat other products such as General Motors' Volt when it launched the F3DM, the world's first plug-in hybrid to go on sale, in China late last year.