Despite consumers' concern over high cost, technological bottlenecks, inconvenience of recharging, among other problems of new energy cars, new energy vehicles have found a promising market in China where, according to official statistics, production and sales of new energy cars surged 2.3 and 2.2 times, respectively, during the first half (H1) of 2014 from a year earlier.

Both figures exceed those of 2013 and are expected to continue growing at accelerated pace during H2, 2014. Surging sales of new energy cars are expected to help sales of all suppliers of auto parts, and developments of charging point and facilities builders.
 
According to a survey conducted by the University of California, China is the world's 3rd largest new energy vehicle market in 2013, only trailing the U.S. and Germany. The accelerated growth of China's new energy vehicle market this year may further push China into the lead soon, with  new energy vehicle sales in China likely to exceed units 50,000  in 2014, about triple that of last year.
 
Eco-protection is generally seen as the reason driving consumers to buy energy-saving vehicle, with the recent slowdown in economic growth of China helping to drive sales of such vehicles as the Beijing government has selected new energy vehicles, along with other energy-saving industries, as targeted, emerging industries to promote to bolster China's industrial development and economic growth. China's premier Li Keqiang said that new energy vehicle is a strategic industry of China for industrial upgrading and environment protection.
 
To encourage procurement of new energy cars, China's government has taken the lead to promote usage of such cars. The “New Energy Vehicles for Government Agencies and Public Institutions Purchase Scheme” jointly announced by the National Government Offices Administration, the Ministries of Finance, Science and Technology, Industry and Information Technology, and the National Development and Reform Commission, for example, clearly sets the timetable and roadmap for government agencies and state institutes to convert to new energy cars, with at least 30% of those in central government fleets, government agencies and state bodies in the new energy vehicle promotion cities for the 2014-16 period required to be new-energy vehicles, after which the program will be extended yearly.
 
The program also allows for certain percentages of new energy vehicles to be purchased for governmental agencies and state bodies of various provinces and cities during these several years.
 
Where micro-particle pollutant control is challenging, as in  Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta, the proportion of new energy vehicles purchased by government and state bodies must not be less than 15% in 2014.
 
As to the infrastructure facilities and equipment for new energy vehicles which have become a matter for public concern, the program also clearly stipulates: the ratio of charging interfaces to new-energy vehicles should be not less than 1:1. The five central government ministries which jointly announced this program are required to make their policies favorable to investments in this regard, and the governmental guiding principles aim to spark enthusiasm of all sectors of society, improve key infrastructural construction for new energy vehicles, and meet recharging demands.