Hainan eyes eco-friendly vehicle future

By 2030, 100 percent of new and replacement cars must be NEV

The southern island province of Hainan's goal to become China's first region to halt sales of new fossil-fuel vehicles marks a landmark step in the country's efforts to decarbonize the transportation sector, and is also part of Hainan's push to build a "green" province.

According to the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Hainan National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone — released recently by the provincial government — the province will "smoothly advance" the ban on sales of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030. By that year, 100 percent of new and replacement vehicles in public services and commercial operations, and 100 percent of new private vehicles, must be new energy vehicles. The vehicle-to-charger ratio is targeted to remain below 2.5 to 1.