The world's automotive industry has strong confidence in achieving a global market share of over 50 percent for new energy vehicles (NEVs) by 2035, said Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, on Friday morning at the 2023 World New Energy Vehicle Congress. Wan is also president of the congress.

Over 750 automotive industry participants from 23 countries and regions have come to the congress, themed "Open Inclusivity, Cooperative Connectivity, Shared Development". The congress takes place in Haikou, South China's Hainan province, from Thursday to Saturday.

The industry needs to strengthen the collaborative breakthrough of key technologies such as power battery systems, new chassis architecture, and autonomous driving systems and promote the typical scenario application and new infrastructure construction of the integrated development of vehicles, energy, roads, and clouds, Wan remarked in a keynote speech on Thursday.

He highlighted the importance of constructing hydrogen energy facilities and forming a comprehensive hydrogen energy transportation demonstration project.

"We should expand opening-up and cooperation, create a new pattern of global development for the automobile industry with smooth circulation and mutual benefits, and contribute to the growth of the global green economy and the realization of carbon neutrality," Wan said.

Jo Bray, Deputy Director at the UK's Department for Business and Trade, called for UK-China cooperation in developing NEVs. She said that from 2035, all new heavy goods vehicles weighing under 26 tonnes sold in the UK must be zero emission.

By the end of the third quarter of 2023, the world's total sales volume of NEVs was about 37.7 million. China accounted for about 60 percent, according to statistics released by the congress.

Hainan plans to ban the sales of all fuel vehicles by 2030.

The market penetration rate of NEVs in Hainan has reached 49.6 percent, higher than all other Chinese regions, said Feng Fei, Party secretary of Hainan, in an opening speech on Thursday.

Now, NEVs account for one out of every two new vehicles sold in the province since the beginning of this year, Hainan Daily reported.

Feng said Hainan will further extend its NEV industry chain, expand the NEV application market, create a Hainan plan for the development of intelligent connected vehicles, build green and safe infrastructure on the island, strengthen opening-up and cooperation on NEVs, and make every effort to create a first-class business environment to support the accelerated development of the NEV industry.