[mememe]

China regulates development of new energy automobiles


www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-02 19:27:40 Print

BEIJING, Nov. 2 (Xinhua)-- China has made a substantial move to advance the development of automobiles powered by new energies amidst concerns on energy conservation and environmental protection.

A new regulation regarding the qualifications of manufacturers for automobiles powered by new energies was promulgated Thursday by the country's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), after seven months of public discussion.

New-energy automobiles were defined by the regulation as hybrid cars, battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), hydrogen-fueled vehicles and vehicles powered by other new types of fuel.

Professor Zha Daojiong, director of the Center for International Energy Security at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told Xinhua the regulation came out against a background of increasing domestic and international energy demands.

The promulgation of the regulation coincided with the announcement of a sharp gasoline price hike by the NDRC. The prices of gasoline, diesel oil and aviation kerosene increased by 500 yuan per ton, a rise of almost 10 percent, to lessen the gap between soaring international crude prices and state-set domestic oil prices.

The document said China would accelerate the research, development and production of new energy vehicles step by step.

Auto enterprises applying to manufacture vehicles powered by new energies should have adequate research, production and after-sale service capacities and need to ensure the reliability of the autos, it said.

"Enterprises wanting to manufacture new-energy cars should pay attention that their development of new type of energies should be truly 'energy-efficient' rather than only 'new in name,''' Zha said. "It is also crucial to avoid creating new sources of pollution in the process of the production of vehicles fueled by new energies."

Special testing institutions will be entrusted to supervise the quality of the vehicles powered by new energies, according to the regulation.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/02/content_7000157.htm

 

[Don]

Hi mememe. I just want to let you know that your posts on this subject are appreciated.

I am very interested in the emerging Chinese EV market (plug-in hybrids, range extended EVs and BEVs all). The alliances that are forming is fascinating and I wonder if you'd care to make any predictions. So far Lishen has teamed up with FAW (and will be exporting to America under the Miles badge). Byd is making their own cars. GBT is partnered with both Wuxi Autocycle and Youngman, to export to America with marketing by Zap. GBT had been "experimenting" with nanomaterials from the American company Altairnano, and were apparently engaged with talks to sub for them which went sour, allegedly. CBAK was subbing for the American company A123 but those two have now parted ways. A123 is now planning on building their own manufacturing (although it is hard to imagine that they will succeed in time for GM timetable for the Volt) and CBAK is not saying anything yet about any other EV manufacturer or EV battery partnerships.

How close do you think the major Chinese manufacturers are to large scale releases of EVs of these various sorts and who do you think will supply for whom? I'm personally guessing that Altairnano and CBAK are in talks for CBAK to use Altairnano's materials, license their IP, as well as submanufacture batteries to be branded Nanosafes for an American market. I am also thinking that CBAK with their new factories and no current EV partner will be the one the big Chinese auto manufacturers will utilize as they release product over the next several years. Your posts reinforce my already held belief that the Chinese government will heavily promote EVs as a means to achieve energy independence with the added benefits of decreasing pollutions and earning cred in the world's communities vis a vis global climate change. What are your thoughts?