Factory's energy efforts thrill German leader

Visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel toured an FAW-Volkswagen joint production plant in Chengdu on Sunday, marking the prelude to a program of building electric charging stations for cars and infrastructure in China.

The plans are expected to be unveiled on Tuesday while Merkel visits Tsinghua University in Beijing, according to Jochem Heizmann, a Volkswagen Group board member and president and CEO of Volkswagen Group China.

"Our priority is plug-in hybrids (electric vehicles)," Heizmann said. "We're working very intensively on the issue."