The eighth China International New Energy Vehicle Forum takes place in Anting town, Jiading district, Shanghai from May 16 to 18. [Photo/chinanews.com]

More than 730 government officials, leaders of auto companies, and scholars gathered in Shanghai on May 17 to brainstorm about the future development and technology trends of the new energy vehicle industry.

They were attendees of the eighth China International New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Forum taking place in the city’s Anting town from May 16 to 18.

Wang Xiaoming, a research director at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that the current auto industry, which has entered a new development phase featuring electricity-driven, intelligent, internet-connected, and sharing vehicles, greatly differs from the industry of the past.

The auto industry of days gone by placed an emphasis on mass production and mass sales, while the current industry focuses on personalized consumption and services.

Zhao Guangjun, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said that the NEV industry is one of Shanghai's key strategic emerging industries, and its development ranks top in China.

According to official statistics, the overall output of Shanghai's auto industry in 2017 reached 677.4 billion yuan ($106 billion), a year-on-year increase of 19.1 percent. The output of the city's NEV manufacturing industry amounted to 23.24 billion yuan, up by 42.6 percent year-on-year.

About 61,000 new energy vehicles have been registered in Shanghai in 2017, ranking the first in the country.

Xie Dongsheng, deputy head of Anting town, said that Anting, Shanghai's auto hub, is launching a new industrial layout targeting new energy vehicles, internet-connected cars, and automated driving.