Race is on to claim lead in NEV industry

Editor's note: Statistics show that in 2016, approximately 50 percent of the global demand for oil was attributable to the road transportation sector, with automobiles accounting for 20 percent. Countries that are strong in the new energy vehicle industry therefore have more room to ease their reliance on oil. China should pay more attention to building up its new energy vehicle industry. Niutanqin, a columnist, said in a recent post:

Almost all major economies are investing heavily in the development of new energy vehicles, not only to get rid of the restraint of oil imports and to control the pollution related to oil consumption, but also to struggle for an advantage in the new economy and emerging industries.

Germany, the United Kingdom and France plan to end sales of gas and diesel cars by 2040. And Japan vows to replace 50 percent to 70 percent of the cars on its roads with new energy ones by 2030.