China should “aim high” when it comes to new mobility technologies as it looks to capitalise on its rapid adoption of alternative energy sources says the country’s International Trade Committee.
China’s vast population – set to be swelled yet further beyond its current 1.3bn people with the relaxation of the country’s one child policy – is particularly hungry to own vehicles with a colossal 30m sales per year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Despite this number tending to plateau, such a mammoth injection of new vehicles onto the market has generated its own problems such as chronic congestion in mega-cities and resultant pollution which has led to the search for cleaner propulsion.
“We are facing the connected and collaborative revolution in multiple areas including new energy technologies,” said China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Automotive Committee chairman, Wang Xi at the recent Global Automotive Forum in Chongqing.
“The automotive industry has become the industry with the biggest momentum. We require more and better quality innovation [while] newcomers are integrating with OEMs. There will be competition between domestic and international companies. OEMs are also trying to transform themselves into providers of mobility.
“The auto industry is experiencing this revolution which is led from the technological revolution – without technology breakthroughs it will not play its role. Whether [or not] we have successes depends on improvement of batteries and electronic control technologies. Whether the vehicles are successful depends on whether our sensor technologies and data processing technologies can bring better experience than our eyes and brain.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalData“China should aim high at the frontier of science and technology. The Chinese automotive industry has already become a pioneer, but in a lot of core technologies, we don’t enjoy a lot of solid foundation.”
Chongqing is the automotive heartland of China with annual vehicle production capacity of 4.5m with 38 manufacturers, while 840 component companies are also based in the mid-western city.
The city is under direct control from the Chinese Central Government and the auto sector is one of six industrial bases in the region along with electronic information, equipment manufacturing, natural gas, materials and energy.
A glance at the population of the Chongqing Administrative Area reveals a colossal 33.9m people living in the region, with many choosing to visit the Motor Show adjacent to the Global Automotive Forum and taking place at the same time.
“The relationship between vehicles and society is experiencing fundamental changes,” added Xi. ”The market changes in just one year.
”Vehicle sharing and driverless [cars] will bring new problems and energy adjustment. I believe [in] ten to 20 years if we look back we will find these difficult days are very valuable.”
