|
DOMESTIC automaker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. is on schedule to market vehicles in the United States by early fall 2008, despite potential difficulties passing strict U.S. testing standards, Geely’s top U.S. official said.
Geely USA chief operating officer John L. Harmer said Friday the automaker was “pleasantly surprised at how well we did” in preliminary efforts to meet U.S. federal standards.
Harmer, speaking at a Society of Automotive Analysts conference in Detroit, said the automaker’s cars have undergone preliminary quality, emissions and safety tests, but he declined to disclose the car’s actual performance. He said Geely hasn’t begun the official testing that is required by the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Two weeks ago, news reports emerged saying Geely had failed U.S. procedures. The automaker denied that, but the news still raises speculation that Geely will have a tough time meeting its 2008 U.S. target. U.S. federal emissions and crash standards can force automakers into costly and lengthy testing procedures.
|
