China launches new campaign to boost NEV consumption in rural areas

BEIJING -- China will launch a fresh campaign to promote the sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) in its rural areas by improving auto trade-in services and strengthening support for NEV use in the countryside.

The campaign will select NEV models that meet the needs of rural consumers, enjoy good reputations and are known for reliable quality, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is jointly organizing the campaign with four other government departments.

As part of the campaign, dedicated trade-in sections will be set up to provide one-stop services such as used-vehicle inspection, assessment and recycling.

The campaign will also select county-level areas where NEV penetration remains relatively low, but market potential is considerable, for holding offline promotional activities.

Experience-based consumption scenarios, including vehicle displays and test drives, will be created to attract consumers from surrounding towns and villages to stores.

NEV sales outlets, after-sales maintenance and repair service providers, charging and battery-swapping service enterprises, as well as insurance and credit service providers, will be encouraged to join the campaign, in a bid to further improve the supporting environment and services for NEV use in rural areas.