British DTI - Nanjing MG is a shining example of UK-China cooperation in Green technologies.

Simon - Carter: The battery technology is the biggest problem with electric vehicles



Business News Agency October 23 2009

Reporter: Her Majesty's Government in the promotion of new energy vehicles, has what policy?

Simon - Carter: The British Government has invested 400 million pounds to support low-carbon development. Just mentioned that among the 400 million pounds of investment, of which 12,500 pounds used to set up a special department, we are actually focusing on low-carbon vehicles to solve research and development of new energy vehicles, and overcome the technical problems. The British Government has invested 10 million pounds to the local governments, so that they can purchase new energy vehicles. British government has given 250 million pounds to consumers, depending on the different models to buy between 2 and 5 thousand pounds subsidy. There is a 10 million invested in public facilities.

Reporter: Currently, the field of new energy, some technical problems, what are they?

Simon - Carter: answer to this question may involve a lot of details, but at the end of the day is about the battery technology. The battery now has the single biggest problem is his mileage limit, the current study of the battery 100 km or less, but there are a lot of people worry about the mileage needs far more than this, there are many through their mileage needs is also less than 100 km of course, the farther the better.

Reporter: This is not the biggest promotion of new energy dilemma?

Simon - Carter: Of course we put customers on a very important position, we are now produced very few electric car, the customer very few options, but customers want more options, such as Jaguar, Land Rover, The BMW should also have electric cars, these brands can also be their choice.

Reporter: Is there any kind of electric car is a respected British government do more?

Simon - Carter: We did not specifically say what this particular bad.

Reporter: All the allowances the same?

Simon - Carter: Why do not we just push, we have said earlier, a number of subsidies may lead the trend with the development of industrial relations, this is not what we do.

Purpose of new energy vehicles goal is to reduce emissions, today's discussion also heard, and in fact has no real solution, we only explored some of these possibilities.

Reporter: We identify what technology is mature, and be available for consumers to use it?

Simon - Carter: The Toyota Prius in the London market is very successful because he is a hybrid, consumers can be exempt from London's transport outlay costs, roughly the same number is eight thousand yuan / year, this show that the British government's subsidies, it can’t be said they are all the types of subsidies.

Reporter: Is there anything specific the criteria for new energy sources?

Simon - Carter: electric car is being praised by the government, if you buy electric cars can be 5000 pounds of subsidies, if buying an ordinary car is only 2000 pounds of subsidies.

Reporter: In the British market is it a relatively popular car, hybrid or electric cars?

Simon - Carter: Hybrid as it is already the market, so more popular.

Reporter: promotion of electric vehicles would also need to pick up some government subsidies to do a number of supporting facilities? Piles of these public facilities such as charging some subsidies do?

Simon - Carter: No, because the infrastructure is already in place for long-term future, not only is that we subsidize manufacturers, in fact, we are also educating the public, allow them to receive new energy vehicles. Now a variety of new energy vehicles a test, we have built plug-in charging device may be formed if different, let them produce a unified standard, the customer can buy at any time to recharge.

Reporter: Europe and the United States the advantages of the development of electric vehicles, where?

Simon - Carter: I am not well suited to answer this question, and now all countries have done the research and development of new energy sources, they also encountered many problems, and now there is no one country can say that I am at the forefront of new energy station, a very leading position.

Reporter: British Government's current strategy is to conduct end-consumer subsidies, but corporate R & D have promoted measures?

Simon - Carter: I also mentioned earlier, the British government has invested 125 million pounds, this is an institution of skills, technology strategy, so that this institution to do a platform to promote low-carbon development in new energy vehicles, this is also equivalent to the enterprise support, and that the British Government has been encouraging enterprises to carry out innovations in this area.

Reporter: How to be allocated?

Simon - Carter: There are eight shows of the project includes 340 cars, the next 18 month of 125 million pounds, the final results will be fed back to the car manufacturers are here to help them do better studies.

Reporter: These projects will only do market research?

Simon - Carter: market research is only one part, but also includes many, such as performance, functionality, the public some of their attitudes are reflected, views, etc. are included in the inside, this far exceeds the market research included.

Souhu Auto (News agency): The Chinese Government and the British Government has not carried out some co-operation project? If co-operation which sectors in which companies co-operation?

Simon - Carter: The Chinese Government and the British Government in science and technology have a lot of co-operation, automotive technology projects are a sub-category. A growing number of British companies in cooperation with Chinese companies, but it is inconvenient to tell in the name of secrecy, but now there is a R & D centres in the United Kingdom, including Nanjing MG and also LTI (London Taxi International).