Forthing, a brand owned by Dongfeng, will eventually ditch all internal combustion engines in favor of ‘new energy’. The full transition will take five years, but the first hybrids are set to reach the market much sooner than that.
According to Forthing, its entire vehicle range will ship with either hybrid or fully electric powertrains starting in 2025. The shift will require major investment, out of which the company has already spent 5,000,000,000 Yuan over the past three years. The remaining investment to be made until 2030 is estimated at 20,000,000,000 Yuan, or nearly 3,000,000,000 USD.
Simultaneously with the announcement, the company held a presentation of a new electric crossover named the Thunder. The car is 4,6 meters (15.1 ft.) long with around 2.7 meters (8.86 ft.) between the axles. It is already available to pre-order starting from 140,000 Yuan, or $20,000. The only motor available makes 204 PS (201 hp / 150 kW), but the battery can be rated for either 430 or 630 km (either 267 or 391 miles) of range.