NEV sector gets fresh charge, new momentum and insights

A BAIC electric vehicle attracts visitors at the Chengdu auto show in August 2018. [Photo by Li Fusheng/China Daily]

The China Automotive Regional and Economic Summit kicked off in Ganzhou, in eastern Jiangxi province on Oct 12, injecting strong momentum and offering forward-looking insight into China's new energy vehicles industry.

"The new energy vehicle is a crucial pillar of the upcoming third industrial revolution and China stands a good chance of being the winner of this revolution," said Chen Qingtai, director of China EV100 at the summit.

Leading economic and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin, author of The Third Industrial Revolution, has said that China will lead the process, which is about merging internet technology and renewable energies to create a new intelligent infrastructure that achieves high efficiency and productivity and near-zero marginal costs.

Chen said China has made achievements in connectivity, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and new-generation communications in recent years, exactly what is needed for the evolution of the new energy vehicle industry.

"Some big-name companies are swarming into the new energy industry, which is boosting the establishment of a whole industry chain," Chen said. China Railway Rolling Stock Co has indicated its insulated gate bipolar transistor or IGBT, developed for G-series high-speed trains, could be applied to vehicle-mounted electronic control systems. Telecommunications equipment giants Huawei and ZTE have also gone with the technological tide.

ZTE, for its part, has developed wireless charging system. Meanwhile, Huawei is devoting itself to research and develop a communications system, connectivity system, terminal device and intelligent operating system for electric cars, aiming at forging itself into a supplier of integrated vehicle-mounted systems, noted Chen.

"Internet companies' striding into the new energy vehicle industry allows China to take the lead to apply information and intelligence to new energy vehicles," said Chen.

The Apollo intelligent driving system, launched by Chinese internet giant Baidu, has attracted about 100 automakers at home and abroad to a forge partnership.

E-commerce leader Alibaba Inc has collaborated with SAIC Motor Co and launched the internet-connected model, Roewe RX5, which sparked a buying frenzy.

Startups like Nio Inc, Xiaopeng Motors, WM Motor and SWM Motors have their own distinct visions and definitions for future mobility, which are whetting the appetite of customers for cars and forces traditional automakers to make progress in the field, according to Chen.

But he also said that although domestic new energy carmakers had made great progress in independent R&D, they should be cautious when taking on overseas markets.

"Foreign automakers generally have strong technology reserves and powerful brand influence, providing them with substantial strength. We have to be alert to (a potential) market crisis even in times of calm," Chen said.