Wan Gang:China to focus on EV in future

【On September 4th, the 2009 China Automotive Industry Development International Forum started in Tianjin Binhai New Area. In the three-day forum, more than 600 government officials, industry leaders, business executives and elites from home and abroad would discuss the development trend of Chinese automotive industry. These professionals would create a “Brainstorming Banquet” with offering valuable suggestions and ideas. 

On the morning of September 6th, in an exclusive interview with Auto.sohu.com, Wan Gang, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and Minister of Science and Technology, talked about the issue of the future development of electric vehicles in China. In the following plenary lecture, Mr. Wan Gang also responded to our questions. “Just now when I was about to enter the venue, a reporter (from Auto.sohu.com) would like to ask some questions about the prospects of electric vehicles. Some experts also have doubts about that issue. In my opinion, what I have just mentioned proves that more and more experts and enterprises have already set the new energy and energy-saving cars as the objectives of future development. That is the trend. Consensus is emerging now and transition is already underway,” the minister said.】

Wan Gang, vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and Minister of Science and Technology

Wan Gang:

In the field of R&D of electric vehicles, China has four major advantages. In the following part of the speech, Mr. Wan Gang stated the detailed information of the four advantages.

First of all, with great efforts in a decade, China has already established an integrated R&D and industrialization system, covering the development of hybrid vehicles, electric cars, fuel cell vehicles, power control systems, batteries and other key components of a car. China has mastered key technologies about how to develop electric vehicles and founded a R&D system of electric vehicles. China has achieved the independent development of key components of electric cars.

Second, China has launched a large-scale introduction project of electric vehicles in ten cities, which is aimed at putting thousands of new energy cars into use. By the year of 2012, there will be more than 60 thousand new energy cars running on roads in China. Associated infrastructures are under construction as well. Chinese government will continue to adhere to the Bus-Priority strategy and electric vehicles will be introduced into the field of public transportation with the support from government.

Thirdly, China electric vehicles’ research has the material resources and industry advantages of key components. China also ranks first in the world tin reserves and is the largest producer and market of light electric vehicles such as electric motorcycles. Additionally, China has the outstanding cost advantage of lithium batteries and has begun to implement the scale production projects of advanced vehicle batteries and motor power.

Furthermore, we have market and cost advantages. China's auto market is extremely huge and diversified and China has the practical demands for the products including electric vehicles. China could set large-sized and medium-sized passenger cars and small sedans as a breakthrough to realize the accomplishment of two-tight-forward strategies. China will gradually promote the industrialization of electric vehicles.

Currently, there still exist some doubts about whether it is imperative to develop the electric vehicles or not, and when and how to develop the electric vehicles. Minister Wan Gang’s response to the doubts basically represents the attitude of the government regulator on this issue, which can basically reflects that electric vehicles are a future development trend of China's automobile.

New fuel consumption rules will be comprehensively enforced in 2015. “China will continue to expand the investment and support the R&D and market application of new energy cars," said Mr. Wan Gang. Meanwhile, Chinese government will continue to develop and implement more strict emission and fuel consumption standards and actively guide the application of energy-saving environmental protection technology. Moreover, China is also considering helping the level of China's vehicle emission and fuel consumption reach world advanced standards by the year of 2020. Mr. Wan Gang reveals that China will issue new fuel consumption rules which will be implemented from 2015 while accelerating the research and industrialization process of new energy cars at the same time. According to Mr. Wan Gang, the new carbon dioxide emission standard will be 161 grams per kilometer. In addition, Mr. Wan Gang pointed out clearly that China is sparing no efforts to make sure its vehicle emission and fuel consumption would reach world advanced levels.（Qinghua）

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