The wind is turning again for low-speed electric cars? This question has been troubling shandong low-speed electric vehicle enterprises. Low-speed electric cars, with their murky identities, have been moving in a gray area. As a major province in the production and sales of low-speed electric vehicles, every move of low-speed electric vehicles in shandong province has attracted much attention.

But recently, shandong province has conducted an unprecedented, high-specification survey of the province's low-speed electric vehicles. Although the investigation lasted only about a week, it was unprecedented in terms of the high standards of the investigation leading departments, the number of investigation departments involved, the scope of the investigation and the comprehensive contents of the investigation.

For the shandong provincial government's emergency investigation of the province's low-speed electric vehicle enterprises, the industry has different interpretations, the outside world more attributed to the action for external reasons, that is, to respond to the investigation of the superior department or use the investigation to the superior department to make requirements and policies; However, shandong province and local low-speed electric vehicle enterprises mostly attribute it to internal factors, that is, the low-speed electric vehicle industry has developed to the situation of "cannot be ignored", and the corresponding product standards and use management measures should be issued as soon as possible.

On August 4th, after a thorough investigation, shandong province held a symposium on low-speed electric vehicles (levs). A person in charge of levs enterprises in shandong province said that the chaos caused by levs in shandong and other provinces has caused headaches for ministries and commissions. "At present, the public security department has focused on the problems related to the listing of low-speed electric vehicles on the road. Want to do pilot, do not have the authorization of superior branch, this matter also is very difficult to do. As long as it is authorized by the higher authorities, it can certainly be managed, but without this authority, no one dares to start such a task."

Of course, it is not rigorous to say that pressure from the ministry of public security led to the investigation. The development of low speed electric vehicle has actually become a big problem in shandong province. But behind this unprecedented "search", a signal has become increasingly clear - the low-speed electric vehicles scattered disorderly, free development stage is not a regional problem, its chaotic and brutal development era is coming to an end. Moreover, future standards are likely to be highly regulated. "The provincial government will introduce management measures, which are largely for key micro electric vehicle enterprises." A director of the energy conservation office of the shandong provincial government said at a summary meeting on August 4.

Emergency investigation

On July 27, the shandong provincial government issued an urgent notice to conduct a thorough investigation of the province's low-speed electric vehicle enterprises. The notice was scathing, calling for a "thorough investigation to ensure that no blind spots remain". The research covers all aspects of the enterprise, including the production of four-wheel low-speed electric vehicles, low-speed electric vehicles sellers, users, the opinions of local government departments and other four parts.

The investigation team is led by the provincial economic and information technology commission, provincial development and reform commission, provincial public security department, provincial industrial and commercial bureau and provincial quality supervision bureau. Preliminary estimates suggest the scale of the investigation will involve about 50-100 manufacturers and 10-40 distributors. The survey lasted for one week. According to the plan, the field survey period was from July 28 to August 3. A symposium was held on August 4, and a report was formed on August 5 and reported to the vice governor. "This is the first time such a high-level and comprehensive investigation has been conducted." In an interview with the economic observer, more than one person in charge of shandong low-speed electric vehicle enterprises said so. And a few days ago just accepted the investigation of shandong low-speed electric vehicle enterprise responsible person introduction, the investigation team in addition to field inspection, check the enterprise's production line and other hardware equipment and quality management status, but also requires the enterprise to provide product parameters, quality certification, research and development capacity, production and marketing data and a series of data. "I've basically figured out the basics of the business." "The increasing number of low-speed electric vehicles in shandong province has forced the provincial government to pay more and more attention to the low-speed electric vehicle industry." Shandong automobile industry association executive vice President and secretary general wei xueqin said. In the announcement of the investigation, the shandong provincial government also frankly admitted that the local low-speed electric vehicles in shandong province have problems such as lack of product standards, disordered production and management, and prominent safety risks. It is urgent to find out the current situation and formulate the provincial low-speed electric vehicle management standards.

However, the emergency investigation by the shandong provincial government also has "external causes". On July 12, the road traffic safety law enforcement inspection team of the standing committee of the National People's Congress held its first plenary meeting in Beijing, announcing that it will carry out nationwide inspection on the law enforcement. The law enforcement inspection team will be divided into four teams to carry out inspections in eight provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country from August to September, shandong being one of them. At the meeting, huang Ming, deputy secretary of the communist party committee of the ministry of public security, said efforts should be made to solve the problem of illegal production and sales of vehicles such as over-standard electric vehicles and elderly scooters.

In addition, in April this year, the state administration of standardization put the "technical conditions for low-speed four-wheel electric passenger vehicles" as a proposed project for public consultation. After that, the ministry of people also said it was low-speed electric car specification management related policy, will publish nativity and into the comment period, the source also revealed that policy fully combined with four ministries and commissions for low-speed electric cars snookering, implementing classified management, and based on the "upgrade a batch of, standardization of a batch, eliminate a number of" general rules.

"Before the national product technical standards and industry management standards were issued, shandong investigated the enterprises in the province to exert influence on the national product technical standards and industry management standards as a large province of low-speed electric vehicles. "Said one electric-vehicle industry expert, who declined to be named.

At present, the product technical standard of low-speed electric vehicle has been very controversial. Lot of low-speed electric car companies including local governments want to standard lower, don't suddenly stuck too much, but at the central level of government management departments tend to strictly requirements, especially for the traffic administrative department of traffic management, and even want to low-speed electric car according to the current applied to the motor vehicle GB7258 (motor vehicle safety technical conditions) laws and regulations to manage, so easy for management.

The promise of normalization?

Low-speed electric vehicles have been gaining market share in recent years due to their low price. According to incomplete statistics, in the past five years, low-speed electric vehicles have increased by 10 times. In 2015, the sales volume of low-speed electric vehicles in China increased by more than 50%, approaching 700,000 units. Due to its economy and practicality, low-speed electric vehicles are also supported by many experts. Chen qingtai, chairman of the China association of 100 electric vehicles, guo konghui, an expert in automobiles, and Yang yusheng, an academician of the Chinese academy of engineering, have all expressed their support for the development of low-speed electric vehicles.

Due to the low technical and investment threshold, low-speed electric vehicles have become an "emerging industry" supported by some local governments in shandong, henan and hebei provinces. However, due to the unidentified identity, product technology standards, the development of low-speed electric vehicles is also accompanied by disorder, product security, road right is not clear, causing traffic accidents and other problems. In the 2014 CCTV 315 gala, some low-speed electric vehicle enterprises in shandong province were exposed with poor technology, shoddy production, poor safety and accident frequency.

But in the view of the enterprises of low speed electric vehicles, these problems are not in low speed electric vehicles themselves, but in the absence of management. "If the identity is not clear and management is strengthened, the problems caused by low-speed electric vehicles will be more serious than those caused by electric bicycles and tricycles a few years ago. "The experience of these two industries has shown that products that are in demand do not grow just because they are controversial and not regulated by the government. They just grow more disorderly, more problematic and more expensive to manage." The above-mentioned low speed electric vehicle enterprise director said.

"With the development of the low-speed electric vehicle industry, no one will deny that the potential of this industry is huge and there is a wide market demand. The question is not whether to develop this industry, but to introduce appropriate product technical standards and management norms as soon as possible, so as to promote the development of industry norms. Many of today's problems are rooted in the fact that there is no way to rely on and manage them." Jia yongxuan, CEO of Beijing solong electric vehicle technology co., LTD.

Since 2011, the government of shandong province has been submitting a report to the state council to apply for shandong to be listed as a pilot province for small electric vehicles, but there has been no clear reply. This means that even in the highly regarded province of shandong, the problem of changing the status of low-speed electric vehicles has not been solved. "Investment in new-energy electric vehicles has given rise to a number of speculators and bubbles. The entry barrier for low-speed electric vehicles is lower. According to the above experts, this is also the reason why the industry authorities have been unclear on the "conversion" of low-speed electric vehicles.

The extensive investigation in shandong province, in the view of the province's low-speed electric vehicle enterprises, means a step closer to a clear identity and the standard development of the industry. At a small forum after the survey, a director of the energy saving office of the shandong provincial government said frankly that the provincial government will release product standards and management measures as soon as possible, which is largely for key micro electric vehicle enterprises. The province is taking great risks, the relevant enterprises to production conditions, quality and safety, structural design and other aspects of hard work, product quality, practice good internal skills, actively cooperate with the relevant departments, as soon as possible to standardize the province's micro electric vehicle management.