China's homegrown automaker Chery Auto said it has mastered core technology of the extended range electric vehicle (E-REV), and will launch the vehicle to the domestic market in the first half of next year.

It is generally believed that the world's first E-REV is the Chevrolet Volt which landed in China last week. The E-REV, as its name suggests, can well extend the electric driving range.

Chery Auto, which has been engaged in developing new energy vehicles with Chinese characteristics, namely different technologies for different vehicle segments, is the only automaker in China who has obtained this technology at present.

The company has earlier developed hybrid vehicles, as well as various electric vehicles which will be put on sale successively. Its QQ3EV has limited top speed and can provide only 100 km of electric mileage range but is sold for only around 50,000 yuan (US$ 7,400).

Chery Auto believes that low-speed electric vehicles can serve as scooters in the second- and third-tier cities, and have substantial potential as rural-urban commuters. The Chinese automaker has also developed the S18 electric vehicle which is capable of travelling as many as 93 miles on each charge and the maximum speed reaches 75 mph.