A new energy vehicle (NEV) project was officially launched in Baotou, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Dec 9, with the aim of developing NEVs and their charging and battery changing stations, according to local media reports.

Over the next three years, the project will see the construction of a new power battery recycling industrial park in Baotou city, providing power battery leasing, storage, transfer, cascade utilization, recycling and services for Baotou and the whole autonomous region.

After the project is launched, approximately 40,000 NEVs will be promoted within three years and an energy supply network for NEVs will be built.

Using the NEV battery changing stations, it only takes three minutes to change the battery each time, and it can be changed anytime and anywhere, providing drivers with more convenience.

Driven by the development of NEVs, buses, taxis, urban logistics vehicles, and sanitation sweepers in Baotou city will be further electrified.

In the future, consumers will no longer need to buy batteries when buying electric vehicles, which will greatly reduce the cost of buying the vehicles.

The project launch ceremony also saw the first batch of 30 new energy passenger cars put into operation in Baotou, which will soon appear on the streets of Baotou city as taxis. The vehicles have been tested and can travel more than 240 kilometers with full load capacity in cold weather.