Chen Qingquan:EV tech has fastest growth

Editor's note: October 22-23, 2009, “International Electric Vehicle Technology Innovation and Development Forum 2009" was held in Chongqing by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China. During the forum, SOHU AUTO interviewed Chen Qingquan, the President of World Electric Vehicle Association.

Chen Qingquan, the President of World Electric Vehicle Association

SOHU AUTO: You have been engaged in electric vehicles research for more than 30 years. Therefore, as an authoritative expert in this area, can you tell us it will take how many years to truly realize the industrialization of electric vehicles in China, and the core issues we need to focus on?

Chen Qingquan: Actually a precise prediction is difficult to make, but I also have to make a prediction. In my opinion, we shouldn’t think much highly of the prediction, because it can simply reflect trend of the electric vehicles in China. According to our objectives, electric vehicles are supposed to account 5% of the total new car sales by 2020, when China has become a strong car market in the world .As a strong car market, new energy vehicles are the most viable, so it must occupy a certain share (5%) in China’s new cat sales. How much is 5%? Last year, China’s new car sales reached nearly 10 million units.

In accordance with the figure, 5% would be five hundred thousand units. China is the fastest economic development country in the world, but China is also an oil-poor country. Chinese consumers have big demands for electric vehicles and the transportation in China need also to be developed. Based on the above fact, electric vehicles have a great potential for development in China .Meanwhile, considering the lack of oil, China is faced with increasing pressure on environmental protection and energy sources. Currently western countries have been criticizing that China's carbon dioxide emissions is the largest in the world. However, we can’t agree with western countries on such a point arguing that although China is the largest carbon dioxide emissions country now, the largest per capita carbon dioxide emissions country is not China.

Construction of environmental protection country is a common responsibility for all countries, so it is necessary for developed countries to introduce their technologies to China. There is denying the fact that China and USA are the largest energy consumption countries in the world. Recently I also tried to discuss this issue with Steven Chu, Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy and also a foreign academician in Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In fact, China and the United States are determining the fate of world and the fate of the world's sustainable development, because China and USA are the largest energy consumption countries in the world. Economic development of developing countries including India, Brazil and Mexico are also quite fast. Canada, Britain, France, and Italy to the exclusion of USA are also western countries.

But overall I'm afraid it is China and USA that can determine the fate of the world. Therefore, China's role in the world is becoming pretty important. Sustainable development of the world and auto industry can be influenced heavily by China. The up of China's international status and China's increasingly important role in the world proves we should make corresponding contributions to the world. Chinese electric vehicles can be an electric vehicles’ network of the world, which I think is a great contribution to the world and humanity.

SOHU AUTO: At present there exist some doubts for China's development and promotion of electric vehicles. Nevertheless, we can find China also have some advantages in promotion of electric vehicles .Can you point out the core advantages for China to promote electric vehicles.

Chen Qingquan: China has the demands for electric vehicles and it is also an oil-poor country. Therefore, China must seize new energy sources. Certainly there have varieties of new energy sources, so different points of view inevitably occur. There are many different types of new energy vehicles including electric vehicles. In the future China should pay more attentions to develop environment protection and energy-saving vehicles.

That is we can’t always only develop a kind of vehicle. The electric vehicles I am talking about are broad gauge electric vehicles not pure electric vehicles. Electric vehicles include pure electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles. Fuel cell electric vehicles can be also seen as hybrid electric vehicles. Start-up of pure fuel cells is not satisfying because the poor power density, thus they are also hybrid electric vehicles in broad gauge.

In addition, the internal combustion engines also continue to develop. In the future even diesel oil and gasoline disappear the internal combustion engines can also have new fuels - bio-diesel or hydrogen and other new fuels. However, People also hold some different views towards bio-diesel: in order to produce one liter of bio-diesel, how much lands we need? It will not be worthwhile if we have to occupy much amount of lands.

Now among the new energy we can’t make sure which is best when it comes to solar energy and wind energy and bio-diesel. The general opinion may be the solar energy, but cost of solar energy is rather high. So I hold the opinion that wind energy is more realistic than solar energy and it currently ranked before the solar energy.

Following is answers to your question that the most vital factors for China to become a Kingdom of electric vehicles.

Firstly, China must have a new industrial chain. Formation of the whole new industry chain is very important. Auto manufacturers are supposed to have a close relationship with their auto parts suppliers. For example, China's lithium resources are abundant therefore we have obvious advantages in developing lithium-ion batteries. Then the processing of batteries needs a whole industrial chain. Another crucial factor is the talents .It is imperative for China to cultivate some talents who can both have knowledge of autos and electric. Goal of the formation of industrial chain is to reduce the cost and to improve the performance.

Second is the infrastructure. Siemens has a very good idea, but now it hasn’t turned into a formal project. We can connect electric vehicles with the smart grid. Electric vehicles have batteries, to fully use the functions of batteries we can continuously charge it .Then when a car is started we can stop power supply. Additionally, when a car is not used it can provide power for home or power grid. (Translator Qinghua Wade)