Song Jian, executive vice- president of Tsinghua Automobile Institute, could talk endlessly about all the success he has achieved in his 10 years of research on eco-friendly vehicles. Instead, he talked honestly with METRO about the frustrations he experienced and his predictions for the industry's future.

Q: When did you start carrying out research on green cars?

A: In 2000, eight years after Tsinghua University began its green car project. Before that, I worked in Beijing Second Automobile Works for 10 years.