The three-day World eletric vehicle Conference 2024, which concluded in Haikou, Hainan province, on Sept 29, brought together leading figures from the global automotive industry to look forward to the future of the eletric vehicle industry. With the theme of "Low-carbon Transition and Global Cooperation", the conference aims to work with all participants in the global automotive industry to promote the sustainable and healthy development of eletric vehicles, strengthen global cooperation, and jointly achieve carbon neutrality.
The automobile industry is a typical global industry. Globalization not only helps to integrate global resources, reduce costs, but also improves user experience. However, in recent years, the trend of anti-globalization has brought great challenges to the automobile industry. In this context, it is particularly important to promote global cooperation, especially in the eletric vehicle industry.
Global cooperation strengthens China's eletric vehicle development advantages
In his speech, Wan Gang, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and President of the World eletric vehicle Conference, pointed out that it is necessary to continue to deepen international exchanges and cooperation, jointly break through the pain points, blocking points and difficult problems that hinder the comprehensive market-oriented development of eletric vehicles, build a fair, transparent, open and non-discriminatory development environment for the international automobile industry trade and investment, and continue to play the role of a platform for multilateral and bilateral international cooperation. We will build a stronger bridge of communication and exchanges and forge a closer bond of win-win cooperation.
He also put forward four suggestions, including consolidating strategic consensus on development, jointly exploring forward-looking technologies, strengthening coordination of policies and regulations, and working together to optimize the open environment. Wan Gang believes that the cooperation between China and Germany in the automobile industry is not only of great significance to the economic development of the two countries, but also will contribute to the sustainable development of the global automobile industry.
In his speech, Gan Jiayue, CEO of Geely Auto Group, discussed how Chinese auto brands are globalizing in a global market. He mentioned that the global sales of eletric vehicles in 2023 was close to 14 million, accounting for 18% of global car sales, showing the strong growth momentum of the eletric vehicle market. Gan Jiayue stressed that technological innovation is the core of Geely Auto's global development, and Geely has built an end-to-end self-research system and ecological alliance through technological innovation in intelligent architecture, chips, software, operating systems and other aspects.
He also mentioned that Geely Auto's successful exploration in overseas markets, such as the successful listing and overseas sales of Geely Galaxy E5, demonstrated Geely Auto's global competitiveness. Gan Jiayue believes that Chinese car companies should actively embrace the new development cycle, integrate into the change of the global industrial chain, firm faith, lay the foundation, practice internal skills, use good technology, do a good job in products, and keep good quality.
Mr Gan also cited challenges faced by Chinese car companies in the process of globalisation, including trade protectionism and market access barriers. He called on Chinese car companies to strictly abide by international laws and regulations, adhere to free trade and fair competition, and provide excellent products and services to global users.
Scientific and technological innovation is the core driving force to promote the development of new energy automobile industry
Huang Xuenong, regulatory director of the National Energy Administration, pointed out in his speech at the conference that with the rapid development of the eletric vehicle industry, charging facilities as an important infrastructure, its construction and management have received more and more attention. He stressed that charging facilities not only meet the travel needs of electric vehicles, but also play the role of an important node and fulcrum of energy and electricity.
Huang Xuenong said that the National Energy Administration will continue to optimize the construction layout of the charging network, constantly improve the charging facility supervision system, technical standards system and power security system, and build a high-quality charging infrastructure system. He mentioned that the National Energy Administration will focus on layout planning, construction and installation, operation management and support to ensure a full range of policy supplies to promote the orderly construction of charging facilities.
He also stressed that at present, China's eletric vehicles have entered a new stage of comprehensive market-oriented development, and the National Energy Administration will accelerate the construction of a new energy system and a new power system as the goal, multi-party coordination to carry out top-level design and promote the progress of energy integration technology.
During the conference, the results of the "2024 Global eletric vehicle Frontier and Innovative Technology" selection were officially announced. Zhang Xuming, secretary-general of the China Automotive Engineering Society, pointed out in his exchange with the car home that in recent years, the scientific and technological innovation of the new energy automobile industry has achieved remarkable results, such as the progress of battery technology, the optimization of the electric drive electronic control system and the improvement of the charging system. He stressed that scientific and technological innovation is the core driving force to promote the development of the new energy automobile industry.
Regarding the latest progress of battery technology, Lian Yubo, chief scientist of BYD, chief engineer of automotive Engineering Research Institute, said that solid-state battery technology is difficult to achieve in three years, five years is more realistic, lithium iron phosphate technology can enable solid-state battery research, and many processes can be used for reference. Even if the solid-state battery is used in large quantities after five years, it is mainly used in high-end cars and high-performance cars, and it may take 15 years or even 20 years to spread to economic models, so the lithium iron phosphate battery will not be eliminated in the short term, because it has advantages in economy and material controllability. For a long time in the future, lithium iron phosphate and solid-state batteries will be developed at the same time, used in different vehicles, and are mutually empowering.
In terms of convenient travel, he predicts that future car chassis will be more intelligent and highly integrated to provide a more convenient, comfortable and intelligent travel experience.
Lian Yubo believes that the future of eletric vehicles will require technological innovation to expand and deepen, involving the expansion and integration of intelligent transportation, smart grid, smart life and other fields. He stressed that the cross-integration of technologies will be the driving force for the development of eletric vehicles in the future, and compound innovative talents with interdisciplinary capabilities will be the key to promoting the innovation of cutting-edge automotive technologies. He also mentioned that the accelerated development of technology will lead to changes in business models, and the value of the car will shift back to the user service expansion.
The final development of eletric vehicles is determined by the market and consumers
As the official partner of the World eletric vehicle Conference, Autohome successfully hosted the sub-forum of "eletric vehicle Consumption and Service" in this conference.
Zhang Xuming, secretary-general of the China Automotive Engineering Society, attended the sub-forum and delivered a keynote speech, pointing out that eletric vehicles are a global consensus to achieve carbon neutrality in the automotive industry, and its development not only represents the direction of high-quality development, but also indicates the new space and vitality of the consumer market.
Although consumers have concerns about the necessity of electric transformation of vehicles and the low-carbon and safety of eletric vehicles, the development of the eletric vehicle industry has a positive role in promoting China's green sustainable development and improving the quality and efficiency of the industrial chain. Zhang Xuming believes that the final development of eletric vehicles is determined by the market, and the market is determined by consumers.
Wu Tao, secretary of the Party Committee and CEO of Auto Home, said in his speech at the sub-forum that electrification, intelligence and low carbonization have not only become the key path for the transformation and upgrading of the automotive industry, but also represent the inherent requirements of high-quality development. Nowadays, the consumption trend of China's automobile market is changing, and the "online + offline" ecological strategy of Auto home layout is upgraded, and the consumption potential of replacement and sinking market is tapped through deep cultivation of the full-link one-stop service system.
Car sales and scale alone are far from enough to build an auto power. Wan Gang stressed that it is necessary to strengthen the independent research and development capabilities of key core technologies and key components. It is necessary to jointly break through the pain points, blocking points and difficult problems that hinder the comprehensive market-oriented development of eletric vehicles, and build a fair, transparent, open and non-discriminatory development environment that combines trade and investment in the international automobile industry.