A Recap of the 2021 World New Energy Vehicle Congress

By Lara Netherlands, Wei Junfan, Shi Junhao, Zhou Chenguang / HICN / Updated: 23:37,19-September-2021

Held from the 15th to the 17th of September, the 2021 World New Energy Vehicle Congress (WNEVC) in Haikou had numerous forums and seminars discussing a range of different topics regarding their industry: from the prospect of flying cars to the latest breakthroughs and advances in electric drive technologies.

Global industry leaders who participated in this year’s Congress expressed how much of a priority it is for the world to rapidly transform to using new energy vehicles (NEVs). As members of a global society, if we are going to reach carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, the best time to act was yesterday and the second best time to act is now.

Reducing carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality has increasingly become a global focus point for countries, governments, businesses, and global organizations. At the Congress, government leaders and leaders of various corporations explained how they are currently alleviating bottlenecks in the NEV industry to streamline the use and efficiency of NEVs in society as a whole.

SHI JUNHAO

Alok Sharma—President Designate of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference—pointed out in his speech at the Congress's main forum that,  in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5℃, cars would need to reach zero emissions in the overall market by either 2035 or 2040 at the latest. In order to work together to achieve a temperature rise of no more than 1.5℃, Sharma called on governments and automakers around the world to make the transition to cleaner transportation more economical, faster and easier.

There are several questions that come into play when considering the transition to NEVs and the emerging market for NEVs: How are governments and companies going to accelerate the transition from old types of vehicles to new ones? Will the manufacturing and service industries for NEVs exacerbate carbon emissions in any way? How will the NEV industry be streamlined? How will the industry improve the efficiency of NEVs for consumers and meet consumer demands?

SHI JUNHAO

In his speech at the main forum, Wan Gang—Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the CPPCC and President of the WNEVC—stressed the importance of cross-industry integration.

NEVs integration with diversified sources of renewable energy (such as hydropower, wind power, solar energy and biomass energy) will see cost reductions, and improving the use of “clean energy” for NEVs will also reduce overall carbon emissions.

Herbert Diess—Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG—said that, as renewable energy sources are cheaper than fossil fuel energy and electric cars are cheaper than gasoline cars, reducing carbon emissions without reducing our quality of life is possible and more affordable than many people previously thought.

In order to promote an NEV industry chain with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality, low carbon renewable energy supplies, low carbon raw materials, low carbon manufacturing processes and low carbon transportation will be implemented throughout NEV's manufacturing.

Given the urgency by which NEVs must enter the market, they need to be affordable and they also need to simultaneously meet consumers' demands and their expectations.

To promote the speed of NEVs penetrating the market (while constantly reducing carbon emissions of NEVs in terms of the raw material and manufacturing stages of production) Wang Xiaoqu—president of SAIC Motor Co., Ltd.—has said that companies such as his will adhere to user-oriented approaches in their production.

SHI JUNHAO

Liu Jingyu—Chairman of China Lithium Battery Technology Co., Ltd.—highlighted the innovations which have led to recent battery technology breakthroughs and which aim to maximize value for both serving customers and meeting market demands. Her company is constantly reengineering their manufacturing processes and has proposed high integration and minimalism as methods for greatly improving their products' security, reliability and cost.

Wan Gang concluded his speech at the main forum by conveying how, in the next five years, there will be a period of accelerating global scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation; and, that this period will be a crucial period for achieving the full marketization of NEVs. Wan Gang also called on all parties to seize opportunities for the NEV industry's development as part of global low-carbon development goals; and, to break through the bottlenecks restricting industrial transformation and upgrade, and high-quality development.

The WNEVC plays an extremely important role for countries, governments, organizations and corporations to work together to exchange information with regards to breakthroughs across integrated industries connected to NEVs; to discuss how to further alleviate bottlenecks; and, to take action to realize a shared vision of achieving carbon neutrality.

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