South China’s island province of Hainan has set the goal of banning the sale of combustion-engine cars by 2030, taking the lead in the country’s transition toward new energy vehicles (NEVs).
By 2030, all newly added and replaced private vehicles, as well as all new and replacement vehicles in public service and commercial operation in Hainan, must be NEVs, with the exception of special-purpose vehicles, according to the province’s 2026-2030 plan for building a national demonstration zone for ecological civilization.
It is estimated that by that time, the share of NEVs in Hainan’s total vehicle fleet will rise from 23.75 percent in 2025 to 45 percent. The province will also improve its charging infrastructure network, with the vehicle-to-charging-pile ratio kept below 2.5 to 1, said the recently issued plan.
Hainan in 2018 first proposed the goal of banning the sale of fuel cars by 2030, becoming the first Chinese provincial-level region to announce such a target. The latest plan reiterated that the province is steadily pushing forward in its pursuit of this goal.
