The trajectory of China's new energy vehicles policy

Abstract

This paper describes and analyses the trajectory of public policies on new energy vehicles (battery electric, plug-in hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles) in China from 2009 to 2018s first quarter, with a focus on policies adopted by the Central Government of China (CGC). The aim is to analyse the recent policy path on new energy vehicles (NEVs) under the demand-pull versus technology-push theoretical approaches. In this context, this paper classifies the main public policies on NEVs adopted in China in recent years on these two broad approaches and analyses the direction of federal NEV policies, based on its trajectory. The article shows that the policies adopted by the central government changed dramatically in recent years, moving from simple buyer incentives (demand-pull policies) to a more complex set of policies comprising incentives not only for buyers, but also stimulus for automotive manufacturers to invest in R&D, and technological densification (demand-pull plus technology-push policies).