Low-speed electric vehicles are commonly known as “old man’s music”. They are very popular among middle-aged and elderly riders in China, especially in urban and rural areas, because of their advantages such as light weight, speed, simple operation and relatively economical price. The market demand space is very large.
At present, many cities have successively issued local standards to regulate the registration and driving of low-speed vehicles, but after all, the unified national standards have not yet been issued, and the “Technical Conditions for Pure Electric Passenger Vehicles” is still in the approval stage . Therefore, industry insiders suggest that in some cities where purchases are open, consumers should meet the following five standard conditions when purchasing low-speed vehicles.
1. Comply with the recommended national standard “Technical Conditions for Pure Electric Passenger Vehicles” of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
In order to better guide the development of low-speed electric vehicles, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology formally solicited opinions on the recommended national standard “Technical Conditions for Pure Electric Passenger Vehicles” in June 2021. Some technical conditions for pure electric passenger vehicles were revised, and it was also clarified that four-wheel low-speed electric vehicles will be a subcategory of pure electric passenger vehicles, named “micro low-speed pure electric passenger vehicles”, and the relevant technical indicators and requirements of the products were proposed.
1. The number of seats in a micro low-speed pure electric passenger car must be less than 4;
2. The maximum speed for 30 minutes is greater than 40km/h and less than 70km/h;
3. The length, width and height of the vehicle should not exceed 3500mm, 1500mm and 1700mm;
4. The vehicle’s curb weight should not exceed 750kg;
5. The vehicle’s cruising range is not less than 100 kilometers;
6. Added battery energy density requirements: The energy density requirement for micro low-speed pure electric passenger vehicles is not less than 70wh/kg.
There may be minor changes later, but if nothing unexpected happens, this standard should be the new national standard for low-speed electric vehicles. Therefore, when purchasing, consumers should first pay attention to the data specified in these standards, especially speed, weight, etc.
2. You need to choose a car model that is powered by lithium batteries.
According to the new standard, the vehicle weight should not exceed 750kg, the battery energy density should not be less than 70wh/kg, and the standard also clearly requires that the battery cycle life should not be less than 90% of the original state after 500 cycles. In order to meet these standards, lithium batteries have become a necessary choice.
In particular, the meeting made it clear that lead-acid batteries are not acceptable, and low-speed four-wheelers can only use lithium iron phosphate or ternary lithium batteries. You should know that for four-wheelers, a set of lithium batteries may even account for one-third or even more than half of the price of the entire vehicle, which also means that the cost of the entire low-speed electric vehicle industry will be forced to increase.
3. The product must have relevant qualifications such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology catalog and 3C certification.
If low-speed electric vehicles want to be legally on the road, the first requirement is to be licensed. According to the preliminary standards provided by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, regular low-speed electric vehicles have been identified as motor vehicles, which means they must be produced by companies with regular automobile production qualifications and listed in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s catalog. At the same time, the product’s 3C certification, factory certificate and other relevant qualifications must be complete before it can be legally licensed and put on the road.
4. You must choose a passenger car, not a tourist sightseeing bus.
The reason why many low-speed electric vehicles can be legally listed and sold on the market is that they are qualified to be sold as sightseeing electric vehicles, which can only be driven on non-public roads such as scenic spots and factory areas. Therefore, when consumers buy low-speed electric vehicles, they must understand the product attributes clearly, whether it is a sightseeing vehicle or a regular road vehicle.
In particular, this aspect is included in the contract signed with the merchant. Don’t be fooled by the merchant’s words that you can drive on the road without a license plate or a driver’s license. You must read the contract carefully and understand it clearly.
5. You must have a driver’s license, license plate, and insurance.
The definition of a micro low-speed pure electric passenger car means that low-speed electric vehicles will no longer be in a gray area. The price of formalization is the formalization of the industry, including issues such as driver’s licenses, registration, and insurance in the consumer market.
At present, a driver’s license is a basic requirement for a motor vehicle to be on the road. Electric motorcycles are motor vehicles, so a driver’s license is required to be on the road. Electric three-wheelers are classified as motor vehicles, and many regions also impose fines on driving without a license . Although the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has not yet clearly issued standards for low-speed four-wheelers, once low-speed electric vehicles are also classified as motor vehicles, the requirement for a driver’s license is absolutely a foregone conclusion.
Of course, as of now, after the introduction of the new regulations , the driver’s license process has been relatively simplified , andof obtaining a driver’s licensehas been significantly reduced. For most middle-aged and elderly people and housewives, getting a driver’s license will no longer be a threshold. The public will surely rekindle the public’s pursuit of low-speed electric vehicles. After all, in terms of price, cost-effectiveness, appearance, and controllability, low-speed electric vehicles still have great advantages.
The market supervision department pointed out that in the future, electric vehicles must have relevant qualifications and licenses to be registered, and the products must also be included in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s announcement catalog. Only electric vehicle companies and products that have been registered with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and included in the catalog can handle tax payment, insurance purchase and other services normally. This trend will be more obvious after the release of the national standard for low-speed electric vehicles.
At present, it has become a consensus that electric vehicles can be registered and put on the road . Although there is a transition period system at present, vehicles that exceed the standard are prohibited from production and sales and will sooner or later be eliminated from the stage of history. When consumers buy low-speed electric vehicles, they must first understand the relevant local policies, especially whether low-speed electric vehicles can be registered locally, what conditions are required, and hold the corresponding driver’s license before going to the market to buy the vehicle.
Post time:
Aug-13-2024
