Gasoline vehicles not rivals of NEVs, say experts

Gasoline vehicles and new energy vehicles have their respective positions in the auto market and they should not be seen as rivals, said experts at a forum on the sector's healthy development.

The forum, organized by the China-Europe Association for Technical and Economic Cooperation and industry news portal autohome, was held on Sunday in Beijing.

Chen Jingyue, executive vice-president and secretary-general of the association, said the development of gasoline vehicles and NEVs should be coordinated to ensure the auto industry's health.

Chen was echoed by Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, at the forum that also attracted senior executives from carmakers.

The gasoline vehicle segment seizes the lion's share of the vehicle market, so they have a larger impact on the fitness of the overall auto industry, said Cui.

He calls for more efforts to stabilize the consumption of gasoline vehicles in China, the largest vehicle market in the world.

Cui said it is not wise to see NEVs and gasoline vehicles as rivals, and it is not correct to deem those gasoline vehicle buyers “out of fashion”.

Statistics from the China Passenger Car Association show that sales of gasoline vehicles had been on the decline for three years in a row.

In 2019, their deliveries in China totaled 19.68 million units, but the figure slumped to 14.88 million units in 2022.

According to a blueprint released on Sept 1, the central government expects sales of the overall vehicle market to reach 27 million units this year, up 3 percent year-on-year.

NEV sales will reach around 9 million units this year, accounting for roughly one-third of the total sales.

Local governments are urged in the blueprint to offer a larger quota of license plates to boost vehicle consumption, and carmakers are encouraged to explore new low-carbon solutions to promote the gasoline vehicle sector's development.