New-energy vehicles are set to take off! Henan has introduced a new policy: parking fees will be cut by half or waived entirely!

Recently, the General Office of the People’s Government of Henan Province issued a notice on the promulgation of the “Several Policies of Henan Province for Accelerating the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles” (hereinafter referred to as…). “Notice”), the notice outlines 20 specific measures across four key areas: actively fostering a market for the promotion and application of new-energy vehicles, creating a favorable environment for their use, further strengthening infrastructure development, and encouraging innovation in new‑energy vehicle application models.

Among these measures, addressing the charging concerns of new‑energy vehicle owners, the notice sets out provisions regarding land‑use guarantees for supporting infrastructure and the development of charging facilities in residential communities. Additionally, new‑energy vehicles benefit from policy support in areas such as parking discounts and priority access.

Charging: All parking spaces in newly built residential communities will be equipped to charge new-energy vehicles.

Notification is in Article “Accelerating the Construction and Renovation of New-Energy Vehicle Charging Facilities in Residential Communities” stipulates that, for all newly built residential developments across the province, 100 percent of parking spaces must be equipped with charging facilities or have provisions reserved for their future installation. Housing and urban–rural development authorities at all levels are required to incorporate the relevant standards and requirements into building design and acceptance specifications; no acceptance procedures shall be processed for new residential projects that fail to meet the mandated charging‑facility requirements.

This also means that in new residential communities, all parking spaces will be equipped with charging stations for electric vehicles, reducing the frequency of residents having to leave their homes in search of a charger.

1. For older residential communities undergoing parking space renovation, at least 10% of the renovated parking spaces shall be equipped with conditions suitable for installing charging facilities.

2. Standardize the fire safety requirements for charging facilities in residential communities; property management entities shall actively cooperate with charging‑facility projects that meet these fire safety standards and handle the installation procedures in accordance with relevant regulations.

3. For owners who already have parking spaces and apply to install charging facilities, the property management agency shall provide convenient conditions for installation and promptly issue an installation opinion if the installation meets fire safety requirements; it shall not charge demand (capacity) electricity fees. If the property management agency refuses to issue the relevant opinion, the local county-level (city- or district-level) housing and urban–rural development department shall supervise its implementation.

Parking Fees: New-energy vehicles enjoy discounted rates for overnight parking.

The notice states that preferential rates will be applied to parking and charging fees for new-energy vehicles. New‑energy car‑sharing vehicles parked in designated shared parking spaces will be exempt from parking charges. Parking fees for new‑energy vehicles will be reduced by 50% based on the local rate, with a daily… From 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. the following day, parking in on-street spaces on municipal roads is free of charge. Local authorities are encouraged to provide electricity‑price subsidies for charging new‑energy vehicles.

In addition, with regard to charging costs, preferential policies will be implemented for connecting new-energy vehicles to the grid and for electricity pricing. By the end of 2020, government‑guided pricing will be implemented for electric vehicle charging and battery‑swapping service fees.

In terms of travel, The notice states that a policy prioritizing the access of new-energy vehicles in urban areas will be implemented. City governments under provincial jurisdiction will independently designate core zones on urban roads and, by adjusting parking fees for gasoline-powered vehicles within these zones, restrict their entry. Differential traffic management measures will be applied to new-energy vehicles displaying dedicated green license plates, while the classified road‑access management system for such vehicles will be refined, and road‑traffic monitoring equipment will be upgraded and modernized to facilitate their movement.

Parking Facilities: Promoting the Development of Public Charging Infrastructure for New Energy Vehicles

In terms of infrastructure, a reward policy will be implemented to support the development of supporting facilities for new-energy vehicles, while ensuring land availability for such facilities and enhancing the level of intelligent charging services for new-energy vehicles.

Notification is in Provisions have been made to improve charging infrastructure at expressway service areas across the province, promote the development of public parking facilities for new-energy vehicles, and accelerate the construction of urban logistics distribution centers.

Specifically, with regard to advancing the development of public parking facilities for new-energy vehicles, the notice stipulates that all newly built public parking lots must be equipped with the necessary infrastructure to accommodate charging stations. (Pre‑installed electrical conduits and reserved electrical capacity). For existing parking lots undergoing renovation, the proportion of parking spaces equipped with charging facilities shall be no less than 10% of the total number of parking spaces.

The proportion of dedicated parking spaces for new-energy vehicle sharing in newly built public parking lots and on-street public parking spaces shall not be less than 20%, and install dedicated signage for shared new-energy vehicle parking spaces, prohibiting fuel‑powered vehicles from occupying them; unauthorized occupation of new‑energy shared parking spaces by fuel‑powered vehicles shall be subject to legal penalties.

Starting in 2020, the built-up areas of cities will gradually impose restrictions on the entry of fuel‑powered logistics vehicles.

The notice also stated that We will actively foster the market for the promotion and application of new-energy vehicles, ensuring that all newly added buses and municipal sanitation vehicles in various localities are powered by new energy. For in-use gasoline-powered vehicles that fail to meet the national and provincial emission standards, key cities designated by the state and the province for air pollution prevention and control shall… Within three years, other cities are required to complete the renewal work within five years.

Regarding taxis

All newly added taxis across the country must be new-energy vehicles, and consumers should be encouraged to purchase models listed in the “Henan Province Recommended Catalog of Key New-Energy Taxi Models.”

In terms of logistics vehicles

Implement the distribution and delivery of new-energy vehicles in the urban logistics sector. From… Starting in 2020, urban built-up areas across the country have progressively restricted the entry of fuel‑powered logistics vehicles, encouraging them to unload outside city limits and using new‑energy logistics vehicles for last‑mile sorting and delivery.

Accelerate the development of urban logistics distribution centers.

Each prefecture-level city shall plan and construct logistics distribution centers near highway interchanges and the urban entrances of major roads, while upgrading supporting facilities such as charging stations and fueling points for logistics vehicles, thereby enhancing the capacity to ensure reliable logistics distribution services.

Exploring new models for the recycling and utilization of power batteries.

With regard to subsidies and incentives, the notice states that the scope of market applications for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be expanded, and relevant manufacturers within the province will be encouraged to intensify efforts to promote these vehicles and actively participate in the construction of national and provincial demonstration projects for hydrogen fuel cell vehicle operations. The provincial finance department will provide rewards at a specified rate, based on the number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles put into operation under each project and the status of supporting infrastructure development.

Support new business models for new‑energy vehicle operations, encourage provincially‑approved new‑energy car‑sharing platforms to conduct commercial services across the entire province, and guide these platforms to adopt vehicle models recommended by Henan Province for new‑energy car sharing. Support provincial automobile manufacturers in launching services such as ride-hailing, logistics, and municipal sanitation using new-energy vehicles, and actively explore new operational models for these vehicles. Encourage local governments to formulate and implement policies that support the operation of new-energy vehicles, and promote the rental of such vehicles by Party and government agencies, public institutions, and for major conferences and official events.

Regarding the widely‑concerned issue of new‑energy vehicle battery recycling, the notice states that it will support automakers and related enterprises in innovating business models for power‑battery recycling and reuse, and encourage local governments to provide subsidies—up to a certain percentage—on investments in battery‑recycling service outlets and on the repurchase of used battery capacity.