Standing in the sun-scorched lot of a suburban Beijing auto dealership Wednesday amid an assortment of Audis, Toyotas, Hondas and Chinese makes, salesman Zhao Hai Tao didn't hesitate when asked which he'd choose if he had the money. He knew: a gleaming black Hummer with leather interior and tinted rear windows.
"It's so powerful," the sunburned 25-year-old said. "As long as you're a man, you'll want one of these."
But after a few moments, Zhao's fanciful thoughts gave way to reality. "I know it's not practical and not fuel-efficient," he said, looking at the souped-up SUV priced at $200,000. "It's a dream car that most people can't afford."
Gas guzzler
Just how the Hummer will fit into China's larger energy plans is unclear. China is heavily dependent on imported petroleum, a major worry for policymakers. The government has made fuel efficiency one of its goals. It raised taxes last year on large vehicles, including a whopping 40% surcharge on the price of a Hummer.
On Sunday, Chinese regulators increased the price of gasoline in response to growing costs of crude oil.
Meanwhile, Chinese companies such as BYD Co. have been attracting global attention for their efforts to produce a credible battery-powered car.
"This is not the right time for China" to introduce the Hummer, said Wang Cheng, a researcher for the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation, a Beijing nonprofit promoting fuel-efficient cars.
Even California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a longtime Hummer aficionado, shed few tears at the news that the Chinese were buying the brand. He converted one of his Hummers to run on vegetable oil to escape the wrath of environmentalists.
"I've always been a big fan of the Hummer, but . . . we know we've got to get rid of the big polluting vehicles and cars that drive with very low mileage," he said. "You know the Hummer gets maybe 14 miles per gallon, and that is not enough."
Who knew?
Tengzhong, a little-known maker of road and construction equipment based in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan province, has no experience in the passenger-vehicle market. The company was founded in 1965 and shed its state-owned designation by turning private in 2005.
The Hummer deal left China's auto industry abuzz and observers scratching their heads. Tengzhong said it would continue to manufacture Hummer models in the same plants currently used by GM, meaning it would forgo the benefits of cheaper Chinese labor.
