ANN/CHINA DAILY – China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) production for the year surpassed 10 million units, marking the first time any country has reached this milestone in a single year.
A senior official emphasised that China will continue to drive the market-oriented growth of NEVs.
Vice-minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology Xin Guobin said that the nation is committed to enhancing a green supply chain system and fostering coordinated carbon reduction across the entire industry.
Last year, the annual production volume of NEVs in China totaled 9.59 million units. In 2013, the first year that production and sales of NEVs were included in the statistical system, only 18,000 units were produced, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.
“This marks a new stage of high-quality development of China’s NEV sector based on industrialised and market-oriented operations, and with a focus on large-scale production and globalisation,” said secretary-general of the association Fu Bingfeng.
Yet, some countries have introduced unfair trade policies to protect their local enterprises, disrupting regular international trade orders. China’s domestic automobile market has also experienced some disorderly competitions, and these issues need to be seriously addressed. Comprehensive innovation and broader cooperation are imperative for further growth, Xin said.
Meanwhile, Chinese electric vehicle maker Xpeng Motors’ flying car unit Xpeng Aeroht has taken a giant leap into the future of transportation with the first public flight of its “Land Aircraft Carrier”, the world’s only car capable of storing an “aircraft” in its trunk, during the ongoing 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai, Guangdong province.
A key player in the low-altitude economy sector, Xpeng Aeroht netted new orders of 2,008 units of the flying car at the airshow.
The order, the largest of its kind globally, saw customers come from sectors such as transportation, tourism, real estate and technology.
Zhao Deli, founder of the company, said the product carries a price tag of less than CNY2 million (USD276,115) each, and that a price cut may be possible as demand grows.
“The order has driven the commercialisation process of flying cars, attracted capital attention and provided strong support for the low-altitude travel ecosystem.
Flying cars are expected to create a new experience of airborne sightseeing. For real estate, it could provide air connections for high-net-worth clients,” said a senior consultant at consultancy Frost & Sullivan Liu Xufeng.
