You might not think of China as a particularly green country. The news stories you hear about China are often about the pollution and environmental issues in the country. Indeed, China is one of the most polluted countries in the world. Seven of the ten most polluted cities in the world are in China. However, the Chinese government is attempting to change this. They have encouraged car manufacturers to switch to producing Electric Vehicles over CO2 producing ones. China, if this trend continues, could become the home of green vehicles over the next few years.
Construction
In 2017, people bought more than 1 million electric vehicles, also known as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), in China. The government wants this figure to be 7 million in 2025. Construction of electric vehicles in china is increasing rapidly in an attempt to match this demand. New companies, such as NIO and Xiaopeng are promising the delivery of thousands of New Energy Vehicles in the coming years. WM Motor, another Chinese EV manufacturer says that it will deliver 10,000 vehicles in the next few months.
Demand
There is a reason beyond political encouragement that so many NEVs are being constructed – there is a demand for them. It is becomingly difficult to get the right to own a car in certain Chinese cities. In Beijing, it is easier to get the license plate you need if you own an NEV than if you own a traditional car. There are also economic reasons to purchase a New Energy Vehicle – government tax rebates and subsidies make them cheaper than in much of the world.
International Interest
Perhaps the true test of China’s new breed of Electric Vehicles will be if they can spread beyond China’s borders. Currently, China still imports many NEVs, such as Tesla vehicles from the US. If companies such as NIO or Xiaopeng can start to export their products to the rest of the world, in the way that Huawei have started to sell phones internationally, then people might take China’s efforts more seriously.