Skip to main content

Chinese white paper explores new business model for electric vehicles

China’s State Council has released a white paper that explores the possible business development model for electric vehicles in the country. After comparing the differences between electric and conventional gasoline vehicles, the white paper points out the market barriers faced by EVs in China: limited range when compared to gasoline, high cost, slow charging and insufficient charging stations The paper argues that China needs to develop an innovative business model to overcome these market barriers since t
October 11, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
China’s State Council has released a white paper that explores the possible business development model for electric vehicles in the country.

After comparing the differences between electric and conventional gasoline vehicles, the white paper points out the market barriers faced by EVs in China: limited range when compared to gasoline, high cost, slow charging and insufficient charging stations

The paper argues that China needs to develop an innovative business model to overcome these market barriers since the technical barriers cannot be solved immediately, and supports an approach whereby a battery swapping model and an electric vehicle rental network combined could provide the means to overcome the market barriers that electric vehicles currently face in China.

The paper maintains that battery swapping is suitable for the Chinese market and can potentially overcome electric vehicle weaknesses of slow charging, high initial cost and limited range, provided sufficient battery switch stations are available.  An EV rental network in cities is the preferable solution for reducing initial cost of purchasing electric vehicles, and could optimise EV utilisation.

The paper points out the potential for electric vehicles to be mass marketed in China, an argument supported by the successful e-bike market in the country.  Unlike many western counties, electric bikes are not niche products but widely used in China, where there were already 120 million e-bikes on the road by the end of 2010. The same success story could be attainable in the EV market.

Related Content

  • Winners in electric vehicle batteries
    July 13, 2015
    According to market analyst IDTechEx, which tracks the development of 45 electric vehicle categories and not just electric cars, there are now lithium-ion battery options for everything from forklifts and mobility vehicles for the disabled to e-bikes. Indeed, almost all the e-bikes in the West and Japan use them. 8000 forklifts in the USA have fuel cells with lithium-ion batteries though the Toyota Mirai fuel cell car and the Prius hybrid car still use NiMH. Whilst capturing market in micro hybrid cars,
  • Q&A: Giesecke & Devrient
    November 19, 2013
    xel Deininger, Group Senior Vice President and Head of the Secure Devices division at Giesecke & Devrient, explains what his company is offering potential customers at CARTES this week – and why the industry is facing a renewed need for standardisation
  • Key to EV roll-out is understanding drivers
    October 22, 2021
    Understanding EV technology and driver behaviour will be key to building out the world’s charging infrastructure. Andrew Stone finds out why from Bret Scott at Wejo
  • Huawei opens door to new opportunities in transport & logistics
    December 18, 2024
    By addressing the four key elements of a transportation network’s composition with a state-of-the-art digital solution, Huawei is bringing significant performance uplifts to all aspects of railway operations