"In 2017, my country made progress in both the ownership and sales of new energy vehicles. A comprehensive, long-term, and sustainable policy support system has been gradually established, and incentive measures for the user market are being explored," said Wan Gang, Minister of Science and Technology, at the China EV100 Forum. He added that after nearly 20 years of effort, my country's new energy vehicle industry has demonstrated significant comprehensive advantages in R&D, market, policy innovation, and infrastructure. Specifically, in terms of the R&D system, a "three-vertical, three-horizontal" layout and a pure electric drive R&D strategy have been established, with close integration of industry, academia, and research, and collaboration among large, medium, and small enterprises, forming a complete industrial chain supply system. In terms of industrial development, the industrial chain from complete vehicles to parts has been basically formed, and the pace of transformation and upgrading is accelerating, with leading backbone enterprises and some emerging companies rapidly taking shape.
According to relevant data, in 2017, my country produced 794,000 new energy vehicles and sold 777,000 vehicles, accounting for 2.7% of the total automobile production, ranking first in the world for three consecutive years. The technology level has been significantly improved, with the driving range of mainstream passenger car models reaching more than 300 kilometers, in line with the international advanced level. The construction of the charging network has been steadily promoted. By the end of last year, a total of 214,000 public charging piles had been built nationwide, an increase of 51% year-on-year, ranking first in the world in terms of ownership.
Although the industry's technology is constantly breaking through and the user market is developing rapidly, my country's new energy vehicle industry has also exposed a series of problems such as over-reliance on policy support, doubts about power battery technology, and difficulties in charging.
Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, stated that from the perspective of my country's industrial development, with the continuous increase in the penetration rate and ownership of new energy vehicles, the industry has entered a new stage of development. However, some problems of unbalanced and insufficient development have gradually become prominent: First, charging infrastructure remains a weak link in development; second, the policy system still needs improvement; third, core technologies still need further breakthroughs; and fourth, the aftermarket circulation service system needs to be improved.
Currently, major developed countries around the world are vigorously promoting the transformation of their automotive industries, and major global automakers and influential internet technology companies are joining the competition in the new energy vehicle sector. In this future competitive landscape, how should my country's new energy vehicle industry respond to the challenges?
"We are experiencing a great automotive revolution, which is supported by the rapid progress of new energy and information technology. We must look beyond electric vehicles to assess their impact on the future economy and society," said Chen Qingtai, chairman of the China EV100.
Addressing the current shortcomings in the development of my country's new energy vehicle industry, Liu Baohua, Deputy Director of the National Energy Administration, stated that the development of electric vehicles still requires strong government support in terms of policy and funding. Policy departments, industry sectors, and numerous enterprises are all full of confidence in its future development. Battery technology and charging convenience are key to driving the industry's explosive growth, and charging infrastructure is a crucial guarantee for the promotion of electric vehicles. Further planning and accelerated construction are needed to provide high-quality power guarantees for the rapid development of green transportation.
Regarding the future applications and prospects of internal combustion engines, Wan Gang stated that the future development direction of internal combustion engines will still trend towards specialization, electrification, and lightweighting. Looking at current development trends, the integration of internal combustion engines and electrification will become a new direction for the development of automotive power technology, and greater emphasis should be placed on technological innovation in the integrated development of internal combustion engines and electrification. At the same time, internal combustion engine technology should focus on improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions, gradually concentrating efforts on key technologies, organizing research and development in these areas, with the aim of playing a significant role in energy conservation and emission reduction in the transportation sector and in addressing climate change.
