Forum sets stage for auto industry to speed up growth

The 2022 China Auto Forum, hosted by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), was held in Jiading District on November 8 to 10, with the theme of "Gathering Strength for Stability, Building Momentum for a New Journey."

Government officials, economists, entrepreneurs, scientists, experts and scholars from all over the world jointly explored the overall plan for the stable development of the industry, and carried out multi-dimensional and in-depth exchanges and discussions on common issues in the development of the global automotive industry at the forum.

Huang Zhen, academician of the Chinese Aacedemy of Engineering; Pedro Gomez, head of Shaping the Future of Mobility, member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum; John Bozzella, president and CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation; Luo Junjie, executive vice president of the China Machinery Industry Federation; and other experts delivered keynote speeches on topics such as "Energy Change and Automotive Fuel Development under the Carbon Neutral Vision" and "Shaping a New Future for Travel."

Lu Fangzhou, Party secretary of Jiading, and Fu Bingfeng, CAAM executive vice president, jointly announced the launch of the association's Intelligent Connected Vehicles Branch at the forum.

Yu Chao

Meanwhile, the Jiading Hydrogen Energy and Fuel Cell Vehicle Industry Alliance was unveiled at the subforum, "Seeking Hydrogen Energy and High Quality Development of Auto Industry."

More than 20 companies in the suburban district have joined the alliance, including Shanghai Hydrogen Propulsion Technology Co, REFIRE Technology Co and Shanghai Jiping New Energy Technology Co.

The alliance aims to promote the coordinated development of the hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle industries in the district. Its main tasks include policy and strategic research, research and development of key common technologies, expansion and enrichment of demonstration applications, supply and demand cooperation in the industrial chain, academic exchanges, and the gathering of industrial talent.

As one of the earliest regions in the city to lay out the development of the hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicle industry, Jiading has initially formed a leading industrial ecology. The Jiading Hydrogen Park and New Energy Park now boast more than 100 related enterprises, including 20 leading companies.

Six hydrogen refueling stations have been built in the district. And a batch of demonstration application scenarios of fuel cell vehicles, such as public transportation and logistics distribution, has been launched. As of August this year, a total of 1,380 fuel cell vehicles had been put into use, with 32.68 million kilometers of safe operation mileage, accounting for 89 percent of the city.

In the future, Jiading will further optimize the industrial ecology. By 2025, the total output of the district's hydrogen energy and fuel cell vehicles is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan (US$14.12 billion). Eighteen public hydrogen refueling stations will be built in Jiading, with more than 3,500 fuel cell demonstration vehicles to be operated.