The 2023 World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC), held in Haikou, China, recently wrapped up, spotlighting a burgeoning alliance between China and Germany in the new energy vehicle (NEV) domain. This event in Haikou, Hainan Province’s capital, followed an earlier session in Munich, showcasing the sector’s global appeal.
China’s dominance in the electric vehicle (EV) market was a focal point at the congress. Timur Gül, the International Energy Agency’s chief energy technology officer, emphasized China’s significant role, noting the country hosts half of the world’s electric vehicles. From over 300,000 EVs in 2016, China’s numbers are poised to hit 20 million by October 2023. Gül attributed this growth to Chinese innovation, government vision, and supportive policies.
Data from the 2023 WNEVC underscores China’s leading position in NEVs. NEV sales accounted for 29.8 percent of China’s total new car sales in the first three quarters of 2023. Globally, approximately 37.7 million NEVs were sold by September’s end, with China claiming about 60 percent of these sales.
Jochen Goller, a BMW AG board member, praised China’s progress, crediting robust government strategies and the auto industry’s collaborative efforts. Speaking via video, Goller highlighted BMW’s strong ties with China, its largest production base and a critical hub for research outside Germany. He discussed BMW’s partnership with Huayou Recycling in Zhejiang Province, focusing on battery material recycling, a process that reduces carbon emissions by 70 percent and recovering over 1,000 tonnes of secondary materials.
Goller urged for collaborative efforts between Europe and China to standardize methods for assessing the carbon footprint of high-voltage batteries, stressing the mutual benefits.
Ralf Brandstätter, a Volkswagen Group board member, also expressed optimism about China’s NEV market. He outlined Volkswagen’s ambition to introduce at least 30 fully electric models by 2030 and its commitment to invest over 7.5 billion yuan in Anhui Province. This investment aims to establish the Volkswagen Group China Technology Company, concentrating on Intelligent Connected Vehicle (ICV) models in Hefei’s high-tech cluster.
The 2023 WNEVC witnessed Volkswagen Group China and the Hainan government signing a framework agreement to broaden collaboration across mobility services, vocational education, and marketing. Liu Yunfeng, executive vice president of Volkswagen Group China, expressed excitement about this partnership and the prospects offered by the Hainan Free Trade Port.
The congress marked a pivotal moment for China’s NEV industry, with China-Germany cooperation signaling a dynamic shift toward new energy vehicles on a global scale. This partnership is not just a testament to the commitment to sustainable transportation but also highlights China’s influential role in the automotive industry’s future.
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