As China's NEV industry demonstrated its maturity during the National Day holiday — with 3 million charging sessions on the country's highways in three days — Hainan province is emerging as the institutional testing ground for the transition.
Under Hainan's carbon peaking and new energy vehicle promotion medium- and long-term plan, the island will fully ban the sale of gasoline cars by 2030, achieve 100 percent new energy share for private vehicle registrations and replacements, and optimize the vehicle-to-pile ratio by building a high-density, fully covering charging network in urban areas.
Beyond setting a clear exit point for fuel vehicles, the plan looks ahead at a series of governance challenges that will emerge after NEVs become dominant — traffic flow, energy supply, tax adjustment, and the upgrade of public services — making Hainan a regional pilot that can accumulate models for the rest of the country.
Data from the National Energy Administration shows that from October 1 to 3, some 62,700 highway charging facilities nationwide recorded nearly 3 million charging sessions with daily average charging volume of about 24 million kilowatt-hours, both growing close to 50% year-on-year. Highway travel, historically a stress test that exposed industry weaknesses, has become a proving ground for the real capability of China's electrification transition.
Hainan's role extends beyond domestic goals. Leveraging the unique openness of the Free Trade Port, Hainan is positioned as a key hub for China's green industry cooperation with ASEAN. The ASEAN new energy vehicle market is expanding rapidly: regional NEV sales grew 121% in 2025 with a penetration rate of 17%, rising further to 24% in the first half of 2026, with Chinese brands holding more than 30% of the local market.
However, ASEAN countries still have weak electrification foundations, lagging charging infrastructure and prominent market barriers, limiting their ability to execute the transition. Bilateral cooperation has therefore expanded beyond simple vehicle trade into infrastructure construction, operational services and full technology transfer, with Hainan serving as the bridge for this deeper industrial partnership.
