BEIJING - Chery Automobile, one of China's largest vehicle manufacturers, will be flying a green flag this week at the Beijing Olympics, as a fleet of 50 Chery hybrid vehicles takes to local streets as part of the 'Olympics Green Messengers.'

The fleet is composed of two different hybrid versions of the Chery A5 sedan, both developed in cooperation with Ricardo, the renowned British engineering firm. One is a stop-start hybrid with a belt starter-generator (BSG) linked to a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine. The other is a mild hybrid with an integrated starter-generator (ISG) linked to a 1.3-liter four-cylinder gas engine.

Ricardo says the A5 BSG should realize a 7-10 percent savings in fuel economy over the standard 1.6-liter engine. The A5 ISG provides the power of a larger engine while delivering better fuel economy, the company says.

Both the A5 BSG and A5 ISG will go into full production in China later this year, for the local market and for export.