(Yicai Global) March 4 -- A number of deputies to China’s National People’s Congress, including the bosses of carmaker GAC Group and handset maker Xiaomi, will propose extending subsidies for new energy vehicles and increasing NEV fast-charging capacity at the Two Sessions, the country’s most important annual policy meetings.

GAC Chairman Zeng Qinghong will suggest that the government extend NEV subsidies for one to two years and simplify the procedures for receiving it so as to ease the financial pressure on companies. The subsidies are scheduled to end at the end of this year. Zeng also will propose that subsidies are tilted toward consumers and focus on building supporting facilities.

Zhou Fugeng, a senior engineer at automaker JAC Group, will also suggest extending the tax exemption policy for NEVs and advise the government to bring in more preferential policies targeting their use.

Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun said that the proportion of public charging piles for NEVs in China is only 40 percent, and their capacity is generally low, resulting in slow charging speeds and long waiting times, which makes it hard to meet users’ charging needs.

He will suggest increasing the number of fast-charging stations, promoting the drafting of technical standards and communication protocols as well as devising a three-year special action timetable to facilitate the interconnections between the newly-built high-power fast-charging piles and those existing in central business districts and on highways.

The Two Sessions are the annual meetings of the NPC, China’s national legislature, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body. Members can make proposals which the government must respond to within six months.

The fifth annual session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC opened in Beijing today, and the 13th NPC will open its fifth annual session tomorrow.

Lei also will advise the government to build a national-level platform for innovative collaborations to strengthen the joint development of a new generation of high-power, fast-charging technology and key technologies for integrating storage and charging. The government should also increase investment in fast-charging stations, reduce equipment and deployment costs, and speed up the approval process.

In addition, the Xiaomi boss will further suggest the establishment and improvement of a carbon footprint accounting system to support the accurate management, accounting, certification and verification of carbon footprints. This, he believes, will help China’s NEV sector achieve peak carbon dioxide emissions targets before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Editor: Peter Thomas