China to phase out sales of fossil-fuel vehicles in Hainan, accelerate NEV use

China aims to gradually phase out sales of fossil-fuel vehicles in Hainan Province, according to local media, citing a governmental guideline on reforming Hainan Province. Meanwhile, the guideline emphasizes that China will accelerate the promotion of new energy vehicles(NEV) and energy-saving vehicles, and control the motor vehicle parc “in a scientific way”.

Besides, Hainan Government will formulate and release a planning to popularize NEVs by 2030 to contribute to environmental energy promotion for global islands economy, Shen Xiaoming, governor of Hainan Province, said on April 9 at the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Islands Economic Cooperation Forum”, a sub-forum of 2018 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.

As to the specific implementing methods, Shen Xiaoming revealed that the government has been closely researching on the future development of NEVs in Hainan and will release a detail planning in three months. In addition, he added that governmental agencies will take the lead on using NEVs, which will be extended to public-use areas, such as buses, taxis, and sanitation vehicles and finally private cars.

In April last year, Hainan government officially issued the “13th Five Year Plan on Energy Development”, saying that over 30 thousand NEVs will be put into market and more than 28 thousand charging piles will be constructed in Hainan by 2020. By the end of 2017, the NEV parc in the resort province exceeded 15 thousands units, accounting for around 1% of total provincial motor vehicle parc. In the meantime, Hainan’s scattered charging piles amounted to 2,881 units (including 2,323 units of public charging piles)

Some EV startups in China have started to make layouts in Hainan Province. On Aril 11, WM Motor officially signed a cooperation agreement with Hainan Province Transport Investment Holding Company Limited to deploy layout in tourism rental area. Both parties will build a joint venture that plans to put 2000 NEVs in Hainan Province in the next three years. Moreover, the startup's independent smart travelling service brand “GETnGO” will cooperate with the joint venture to develop tourism-focused travelling businesses on the island.