In December, China will release the first new energy vehicle industry development roadmap,possibly proposing mild hybrid cars as energy saving vehicles, as one of the moves to guide thesector's development in the world's largest electric car market.
The drafting of the industry roadmap, including roadmaps for seven related technologies, was ledby the Society of Automotive Engineers of China, and is now subject to government review andmodifications.
"The nation's electric vehicle sector may need another 15 years of development before reachinga world-leading level, so the government weighs in heavily on new energy vehicle research anddevelopment," Fu Yuwu, chairman of the Society, told a forum on Oct 12. The event took place onthe sidelines of the Wuhan Motor Show 2016, organized by Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai.
The society will propose mature mild hybrid technologies as an alternative approach to cut fuelconsumption and emissions.
Fu said: "Mild hybrid consumes less fuel than combustion, so our society propose hybridtechnologies without plugs be included in the roadmap as energy saving vehicles."
If listed among energy saving vehicles, mild hybrid car buyers will be eligible for thousands ofyuan purchase tax cut. A stimulus measure, effective from Oct 1, 2015, halved the tax onpurchases of passenger vehicles with engines that are 1.6 liters or smaller.
Efforts were also made to boost the new energy sector's development through guiding the inputof social resources toward the emerging sector, now that the fiscal subsidies provided topurchase them are shrinking.
Aiming at increasing carmakers' R&D activities relating to new energy vehicles, the Ministry ofIndustry and Information Technology is about to roll out a dual-credit scheme for mandatoryproduction, in the hopes of at least highlighting the social costs incurred in reducing caremissions.
The country is only admitting new energy carmakers into the auto manufacturing industry, haltingthe approval of conventional vehicle makers.
Beijing-based vehicle design firm CH Auto Technology received approval to be a standalonenew energy passenger carmaker on Oct 10. It is the third of its kind approved by the NationalDevelopment and Reform Commission, after BAIC Group's electric car making arm BeijingElectric Vehicle and Hangzhou Changjiang Passenger Vehicle.
The Society views the manufacturing levels of the emerging battery powertrains as being themain issue for the Chinese new energy sector.
Gao Bowen, sales director of Dongfeng Electric Vehicle, said that the nation's new energyvehicle development is in its elementary stage.
She said the domestic technology in traction batteries is not mature, so many companies haveconcerns about promoting the wide usage of fully electric cars. Customers also worry aboutsafety issues.
"Dongfeng employs a safety monitor system that tracks each individual electric car in its lifetime,to detect every single flaw. Besides, the battery rental and replacement model is in our surveyand research plan, to save customers from concerns regarding battery life."