BYD's move has attracted much media coverage in Japan, with some seeing the company's potential as a catalyst to electrify the mass market.

比亚迪此举在日本吸引了大量媒体报道，一些人认为该公司有潜力成为大众市场电动化的催化剂。

Alongside plans to rapidly expand the number of electric vehicles on Europe's roads by 2030, the EU said it is planning "target-based measures" for hydrogen use in transport modes that will struggle to electrify quickly.

We must find new technologies to electrify the transport," said Parker, who was very impressed by China's leading role in the development of electric vehicles.

In addition, it has worked hard to electrify more of the railway network to increase capacity.

"The country has a very ambitious plan to electrify its transportation and to invest in the Fourth Industrial Revolution," Sobotka added.

The key for China to achieve this goal, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute, a global clean energy think tank based in the United States, is to electrify as much of the economy as possible and to ensure that almost all electricity is generated with zero-carbon resources well before the target date for overall carbon neutrality.

Green hydrogen, produced through the electrolysis of water using renewable energy sources, has emerged as a clean and versatile fuel with the potential to revolutionize various sectors, said the CNPC Economics and Technology Research Institute, China National Petroleum Corp. Wu Mouyuan, vice-president of the institute, said hydrogen's ability to produce energy without emitting carbon dioxide makes it a promising solution for decarbonizing sectors that are challenging to directly electrify, such as heavy industry, aviation and long-haul overland transportation.

- China's new energy vehicle sector has turbocharged growth in recent years, getting a head start in the global race to electrify cars and fostering competitive edges in its domestic auto brands.

By 2030, it aims to electrify most of the group's portfolio in the country.

While Japan's EV market share remained paltry, BYD's move has attracted much media coverage in the country, with some seeing the company's potential as a catalyst to electrify the mass market.

Other major foreign brands have also been slow to electrify.

The vast potential has attracted Audi as well as its rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz to hasten efforts to electrify their product lineups in the country.

They are not in a position to stop production and sales of gasoline cars, although they have ambitious plans to electrify their vehicles.

Companies in the sector have long resisted a rush to electrify because of weak demand for electric vehicles among customers worried about being stranded by flat batteries.

Starting from 2030, the company will gradually expand battery electric vehicle offerings in key markets such as the US, Europe and China, eventually aiming to fully electrify its product lineup in those major global markets by 2040.

Even a luxury brand like Rolls-Royce is planning to electrify its products.

"Providing highly efficient and reliable solutions to electrify commercial vehicles is essential for the overall electromobility market development," said Zhou Jia, president of CATL.

We are fulfilling our promise to electrify China," he said.

"Looking forward, Infiniti is also planning to electrify some of its portfolio in China, which in 2015 became the world's largest new energy market.

President of GM China Matt Tsien announced Tuesday in Shanghai the plan to introduce 10 new energy models, after 2020, GM will accelerate its efforts to help further electrify the world's largest car market.

"We do plan to electrify the M lineup, but the vehicles must maintain their ability to go on the racetrack," he said.

At 2017 IAA, VW announced it will electrify its entire fleet of around 300 models by 2030.

The company also plans to electrify 70 percentxa0of its vehicles in the Chinese market by 2025.

Starting in 2021, Audi will electrify one Audi model in each of its existing core series.

"This means that BMW aims to electrify all its brands and model series, and our goal is sustainable mobility," said Harald Kruger, chairman of the management board of BMW AG.