【明報專訊】NEW ENERGY CARS accounted for 50% of total vehicle sales on the mainland in the first half of April, causing a leading American electric vehicle manufacturer to announce price cuts across its entire lineup. At the same time, news of Europe and the US introducing measures to restrict the import of new energy vehicles from China has been incessant.
The latest figures released by the China Passenger Car Association show that sales of passenger cars across China reached 516,000 units in the first half of this month, of which new energy vehicles accounted for 50.39%. That was the first time new energy vehicles had made up over half of the market. Many International research organisations had predicted that new energy vehicles' market share in China would not exceed 50% until 2027, which turned out to be wide of the mark.
New energy vehicles' rise and overtaking of conventional fuel vehicles might have been due to the latter's poor sales. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, car sales in the first quarter reached 6.72 million units, rising 10.6% year-on-year, with sales of new energy vehicles jumping by 31.8% year-on-year. In other words, car sales have increased in general, and it is just that new energy vehicles have grown even faster.
This set of sales data is better than expected. Last year, the new energy vehicle industry experienced a great leap to an output of 9.58 million units, a growth rate of 35.8%. This is attributable to the government's continuation of the stimulus policy of reduced or exempted purchase taxes. With the exhaustion and likely unsustainability of purchasing power, it is expected that things will not be so good this year. However, driven by a generally good start to the economy, sales have continued to be strong.
The exports of new energy vehicles have also become an achievement. 1.2 million vehicles were exported last year, an increase of 77%. Such a performance has led to restrictive measures internationally. The US does not import new energy vehicles directly from China. Mexico imported 410,000 new energy vehicles from China last year, but just over 100,000 became licensed and used in the country. It is surmised that the remainder were resold into the US through the North American Free Trade Area. This has attracted the attention of the US.
Recently, US Senator Sherrod Brown, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, has suggested that a policy banning the import of Chinese electric vehicles should be introduced as soon as possible. No doubt the reason is again related to the US's national security and economic development. The restrictive measures will not affect the US itself merely, as the US government will pressurise Mexico into not providing preferential treatments for land or tax breaks to Chinese electric vehicle companies setting up factories in Mexico. The Mexican government will have no choice but to succumb to US pressure.
China accounted for one-fifth of the new energy vehicles sold in Europe last year. In October last year, the European Union (EU) began an investigation into whether China's subsidies to the electric vehicle industry threatened its counterpart in the EU. It announced interim results in early March this year, saying there was evidence that China did have a subsidy policy.
Concerning the direction of China's future industrial and technological development, the government should strengthen its financial support for scientific research and development. Be it university scientific research institutions, state-owned enterprises or private enterprises, they should all be given equal attention. The time is ripe for an adjustment for policies in this area.
明報社評2024.04.22：新能源汽車產業突飛猛進 經驗促政府調整科研政策
內地4月上半月新能源汽車銷售佔總汽車銷售量的五成，美國電動車製造商龍頭宣布全線降價迎戰。與此同時，歐美限制中國新能源汽車進口準備出台的消息不斷。
乘用車市場信息聯席會公布的最新數字顯示，本月上半月全國乘用車銷售量達到51.6萬輛，其中新能源汽車佔比達到50.39%，這是首次新能源汽車市場份額超過一半，很多國際分析機構預測中國新能源汽車市場份額到2027年才能過半，大跌眼鏡。
此消彼長的原因，可能是傳統燃油汽車銷情不佳，造成新能源汽車超越。而商務部數據，第一季度汽車銷量達到672萬輛，同比增長10.6%，其中新能源汽車同比增長31.8%，則顯示整體銷情都有增長，新能源汽車增長較快而已。
這一組銷情數據，比預期都要好，去年新能源汽車產業經歷「大躍進」，產量達到958萬架，增幅達到35.8%，歸因政府維持減免購置稅的刺激政策，購買力盡出而且未必能夠持續，所以預料今年好景不再。但在今年總體經濟開局良好的帶動下，銷情繼續暢旺。
新能源汽車出口也成為一道風景線，去年出口120萬輛，增幅達到77%。惹來國際的限制措施，美國沒有直接從中國進口新能源汽車，去年墨西哥從中國進口41萬輛新能源汽車，但在本國上牌使用的只有10多萬輛，其餘估計利用北美自貿區安排轉售美國，引起美國關注。
日前美國參議院銀行委員會主席、參議員布朗建議，應該盡快出台禁止中國電動車進口的政策，原因當然又是關係到國家安全和經濟發展。美國的限制措施，不限於本國，並且向墨西哥施壓，對中國電動車企業在墨西哥設廠生產，不得提供土地優惠或者減稅政策，墨西哥政府只能屈從。
歐洲去年銷售的新能源汽車，五分之一來自中國。歐盟去年10月開始調查，看中國對電動車產業的補貼是否威脅到歐盟電動車產業，今年3月初公布中期結果，說有證據證明中國有補貼政策。
中國今後工業與科技發展的方向，政府應該加強資助科研發展，無論是對大學科研機構、國企和民營企業，都應該給予同等重視，調整這方面的政策此其時也。
■/ Glossary 生字 /
wide of the mark : not accurate
surmise : to guess or suppose something using the evidence you have, without definitely knowing
ripe : ready or suitable for something to happen