I recently attended (and moderated a panel at) the Clean Truck and Bus Summit in Shanghai. Of course the first topic that came to my mind was electric vehicles. But this conference looked at the full range of alternative fuels. And one that was discussed much more than electrification was compressed natural gas, or CNG.
China’s central government has tweaked its approach to growing the country’s New Energy Vehicles segment (see my blog of September 20 on latest NEV policy), but it still aims to have tens of thousands of battery electric and plug-in-hybrid electric vehicles on the road in a few years.
If you don’t think China is committed to EVs for the
I visited Shanghai EDrive on October 24 as part of the Clean Truck and Bus Forum, sponsored in part by CalStart. The visit confirmed what I had heard about EDrive from industry sources; it is a well-run company. The visit also confirmed my and many others’ suspicions that the growth of the electric vehicle sector in China will fall far short of the
While the Chinese government may be intent on growing the electric vehicle segment, Chinese consumers are not so keen to buy electric vehicles. But that doesn’t mean companies in China that produce components for electric vehicles aren’t counting on the sector growing. The just-released New Energy Vehicle policy is a big reason for that optimism. Local government support also plays a role.
In the most recent shot fired in the trade war over solar panels between the United States and China, last week solar panel manufacturer Energy Conversion Devices, through its liquidating trust filed an antitrust lawsuit against Chinese companies Trina Solar Limited, Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., and their
In a time when Australia’s liquid transport fuel supplies are declining and our transport needs are growing, a research partnership between Australia and India could provide a solution to a number of energy concerns and ultimately reduce the reliance of both countries on imported fuels.
The widespread introduction of a clean-burning
In July of 2012, I wrote about the just-released policy in China to promote new energy vehicles and fuel-efficient vehicles. At the time, I mourned the lack of incentives for producing new energy fleet vehicles and suggested the government would have better served its cause with a policy that did that. In the same blog, I talked about what Pacific Gas & Electric, a huge utility
If you wonder what BYD is up to lately outside of China, electric buses seem to be the Chinese automaker’s thing these days. It is also still hawking its much-maligned e6 pure electric crossover vehicle as a taxi. Development of the dual-mode Qin (the current generation of BYD’s hybrid) seems to be treading water, however. Perhaps BYD, like most
I have ridden in what should be China’s future. It would save countless hours stuck in traffic and countless lives.
A few days ago I was at the Nissan 360 media event here in California at the lovely Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach. Automakers always host media at super-lux places. That way at least we are in a good
There is no doubt I am somewhat obsessed with Shanghai GM Wuling. Ever since I visited it back in 2001 (the first foreign journalist to do so) I have followed it with great interest. Let’s face it; investing in Wuling will go down in history as one of General Motors best strategic moves. GM has Phil Murtaugh to thank for that. He negotiated the deal with Wuling’s
China is committed to having an electric vehicle industry. But just what kind of EVs it wants, and when, is still being decided. Meanwhile, investors looking to cash in on China’s EV industry seem to be looking for a good way to benefit from a yet-to-be-finalized government policy.
Take vehicle producer Kandi Technologies (KNDI). Its stock price has surged recently. The stock, traded on
China’s Beijing Automotive Industry Corp – BAIC – is owned by the Beijing Municipal government. Given the central government’s plan to produce millions of electric vehicles, an automaker owned by its hometown should be at the forefront of electric vehicle production right?
Is China backing off its push to have millions of electric vehicles on China’s roads in the next ten years? Not exactly. But recent statements by government officials do signal a change in strategy.
China is moving towards a plan which doesn’t see purchase incentives as the best way to encourage
There are only a few plug-in electric vehicles on the market, but more are on the way. Meanwhile, there are already dozen of chargers out there, also known as Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE). Sure, the EV manufacturer recommends a certain brand. But there are so many to choose from, and others that claim to be compatible with your brand of