Chinese internet company Leshi Internet Information and Technology Co. is deadly serious about green vehicles. The company said yesterday it will expand into electric cars under a new project called Super Electric Eco-system. We will build the best electric cars to solve the problems of air pollution and traffic jam in China, Chairman and President Jia Yueting wrote in his Sina Weibo microblog yesterday.

Today Leshi, a manufacturer of internet TVs and set-top video boxes,revealed more about its future electric car. The company already organized a research and development team based in Silicon Valley about a year ago, with experts poached from traditional car companies including Tesla Motors, Mercedes-Benz and Ford Motor Company working on the forthcoming model. Leshi is also in touch with Google as well as other technology firms based in Silicon Valley, Jiang Dongge, assistant of Chairman Jia Yueting, said in a press conference.

Leshi will have complete intellectual property right of the technologies under development, according to Jiang. He Yi, chief executive officer of Le Telematics Company, said the research progress is exciting and Leshi will share the technologies with domestic auto makers to transform the Chinese market.

Both Jiang and He declined to say when Leshi will launch its very first electric car. They didnt give details about how the company plans to fund the project either.

Making electric cars is billionaire chairman Jia Yuetings big dream, He said. A number of senior executives voted against Jias plan at the beginning of the year, but he was determined to push it through, according to He.

I will press ahead without hesitation even if Leshis car-making business is doomed beyond redemption. Leshi will go ahead as long as our plan can ignite more dreams, He recounted Jias words today.

He said Leshi is also applying for the license to manufacture electric vehicles. Chinas top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, said earlier this year that it plans to grant licenses to more companies other than automakers to encourage innovation and reduce air pollution.

Leshi is confident that its products will beat those from Tesla Motors. The company plans to bank on its experience in the internet sector to disrupt the traditional auto industry, He said.

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China's Leshi Bets Big On Electric Car