Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation

What Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation does

The Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET, 能源与交通创新中心) is a Beijing-based independent non-profit think tank founded in 2006/2007 and registered as a social organization in Chaoyang District. The organization operates as a policy research institution focused on clean transportation, energy transition, and climate change mitigation, delivering analytical frameworks, policy recommendations, and convening platforms to government agencies, industry actors, researchers, and the general public. iCET does not sell commercial products; instead, it provides research outputs, evaluation tools, and policy advisory services free of charge to advance China's decarbonization agenda, funded through foundation grants from organizations including Energy Foundation China, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation.

iCET's core technical portfolio comprises proprietary analytical platforms: the BestECV™ Commercial Vehicle Electrification Accounting Model (released April 2025), the BestEV™ consumer electric vehicle evaluation platform, the China Carbon Registry greenhouse gas accounting platform (developed with The Climate Registry of Los Angeles), and the China Green Car Ranking system covering 80+ brands and 5,000+ models. The organization develops sub-national bottom-up transportation carbon accounting models and scenario simulation tools used for zero-emission roadmapping in regions such as Guangdong Province and the Greater Bay Area. Research outputs include the "Taking Off Green" (绿色腾飞) Sustainable Aviation Fuel report series, NEV-CAFC dual-credit studies, port zero-emission freight analyses, and commercial vehicle electrification scenario assessments. iCET also hosts the China Clean Transportation Partnership (CCTP) coalition, a multi-stakeholder platform co-founded in 2017 that connects 26+ professional think tanks and hundreds of domain experts through 22+ themed salons (沙龙) and annual forums.

The business model relies on foundation grants and institutional donations rather than commercial revenue, with iCET monetizing its expertise through policy influence, international climate diplomacy (COP28 side events, US-China dialogues), and multi-stakeholder convening. Customer-facing value delivery operates across four primary channels: government policy advisory at national and sub-national levels (MIIT, Ministry of Transport, NEA, CAAC), industry support for automotive manufacturers, fleet operators, logistics and aviation companies, public-facing evaluation tools (BestEV, BestECV, China Green Car Ranking, NEV Consumer Guide with charging station manuals for four cities), and academic/research collaboration. International partnerships span the World Bank, GIZ (Germany), Civic Exchange (Hong Kong), California-China Climate Institute, and various Chinese government ministries, with active participation in COP conferences and Belt-and-Road climate cooperation frameworks.

Name

Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation

Legal name

北京市朝阳区能源与交通创新中心

Website

https://icet.org.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) is a Beijing-based independent non-profit think tank founded in 2006, conducting policy research and developing proprietary analytical platforms for clean transportation, energy transition, and climate change across China and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

iCET is a non-profit independent think tank that produces evidence-based policy research, analytical evaluation platforms, and advisory deliverables on clean transportation, energy transition, and climate change. Its core offerings include the BestECV™ commercial vehicle electrification platform, BestEV™ passenger EV evaluation system, China Carbon Registry GHG accounting platform, the China Green Car Ranking, and multi-volume research report series such as the Taking Off Green SAF reports and the Guangdong/Greater Bay Area transportation net-zero roadmap. Outputs are distributed free of charge to government, industry, research, and public audiences.

Product overview

The Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation (iCET) operates as a policy-focused think tank offering a portfolio of interconnected research tools, evaluation platforms, and advisory services centered on clean transportation and energy transition. The core product suite consists of two flagship evaluation platforms: BestEV™ (最优电动车) for passenger electric vehicle consumer guidance and green scoring, and BestECV™ (最优电动商用车) for commercial vehicle electrification assessment and cost-benefit analysis. These are complemented by the BestECV™ 核算大模型, a commercial vehicle electrification accounting large model released in 2025. iCET also produces major research report series including the "Taking Off Green" (绿色腾飞) Sustainable Aviation Fuel reports and the Guangdong/Greater Bay Area Transportation Net-Zero Carbon Emission Roadmap studies. Additional offerings include the China Green Car Ranking (中国绿车榜), the China Carbon Registry (中国碳注册) GHG accounting platform, consumer guidance tools like the NEV Consumer Guide, and low-carbon fuel policy research. The China Clean Transportation Partnership (CCTP) serves as a multi-stakeholder collaborative platform. Together, these products provide demand-side decision support (fleet operators, consumers), policy analysis tools (government agencies), and cross-sector knowledge-sharing platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BestECV™: 最优电动商用车 - Commercial vehicle electrification solutions platform providing fleet electrification cost-benefit analysis and scenario modeling for commercial vehicles.
• BestEV
• 中国清洁交通伙伴关系 (CCTP)
• 中国绿车榜
• 绿色腾飞 (Taking Off Green)

Products and services

• BestECV™ (最优电动商用车) Commercial Vehicle Electrification Platform An online evaluation platform and database for electric commercial vehicles (ECV), providing scenario-based electrification assessment, cost-benefit and emission-reduction accounting, and vehicle model recommendations for fleet operators and policymakers in China. Accessible via web and WeChat mini-program.
• BestEV™ (最优电动车) Consumer EV Evaluation Platform A consumer-facing electric vehicle evaluation platform providing green scores, model comparisons, NEV Q&A support, and charging station installation guidance for passenger EV purchase decisions across multiple Chinese cities.
• China Carbon Registry (中国碳注册) GHG Accounting and Reporting Platform China's first professional, public-interest greenhouse gas accounting and reporting platform, providing tools and methodologies for enterprises and institutions to measure, report, and verify energy efficiency and GHG emissions data.
• China Green Car Ranking (中国绿车榜) Annual environmental performance ranking and evaluation system for vehicles sold in the Chinese market, assigning green scores based on full lifecycle assessment of fuel economy, emissions standards, and vehicle attributes across 80+ brands and 5,000+ models.
• China Clean Transportation Partnership (CCTP, 中国清洁交通伙伴关系) A multi-stakeholder knowledge-sharing and policy dialogue platform for clean transportation, facilitating collaboration among government agencies, research institutions, enterprises, and international organizations to advance China's transportation decarbonization. Connects 26+ leading professional think tanks and hundreds of domain experts.
• "Taking Off Green" (绿色腾飞) Sustainable Aviation Fuel Research Report Series A research report series analyzing China's Sustainable Aviation Fuel industry development, covering technology roadmap assessment, market support mechanisms, certification systems, and cross-departmental policy coordination analysis for China's aviation sector decarbonization.
• Guangdong Province and Greater Bay Area Transportation Net-Zero Carbon Emission Roadmap A multi-phase research initiative developing net-zero carbon emission roadmaps for Guangdong Province and the Greater Bay Area, including carbon budgeting tools and regional policy recommendations across road, rail, water, and air transport sectors.
• China Port Zero-Emission Freight Study (中国港口零排放货运研究) A research report analyzing zero-emission freight transition at major coastal ports including Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan, Qingdao, and Guangzhou, establishing emissions baselines and developing transition scenarios for port logistics vehicles.
• China NEV Consumer Guide and Charging Station Manual (中国新能源汽车消费指导与建桩指南) A consumer guidance project providing NEV purchase decision support through Q&A content and a private charging station installation manual covering Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hainan, helping bridge the gap between policy, industry, and consumer needs.
• Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Research (低碳燃料标准研究) Research on China's low-carbon fuel policy frameworks, including analysis of the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard, lifecycle GHG accounting standards for transportation fuels, and feasibility studies for China-specific low-carbon fuel mechanisms.
• China Traditional Fuel Vehicle Exit Timeline Study (中国传统燃油车退出时间表研究) Landmark research projecting China's traditional fuel vehicle exit scenarios, influencing national policy discussions and contributing to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's announcement to study fuel vehicle exit timelines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 广东省道路交通碳排放可在2030年前实现达峰
• +6 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and strategic.

• 中国清洁交通伙伴关系 (China Clean Transportation Partnership, CCTP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCTP is a multi-stakeholder coalition platform co-founded by iCET and 12 other organizations in 2017. iCET hosts the CCTP secretariat and organizes the沙龙 series (22+ themed events), annual conferences, and expert symposiums. The platform connects 26+ leading professional think tanks and hundreds of domain experts to advance clean transportation policy dialogue in China.
• 最优电动商用车 (BestECV)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerBestECV (最优电动商用车) is a platform and ecosystem focused on commercial vehicle electrification, developed by iCET under its project portfolio. It includes a proprietary accounting tool, vehicle database, and expert consortium. iCET operates the BestECV expert committee and partner alliance.
• 气候解决方案伙伴关系 (Climate Solutions Partnership)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Solutions Partnership is listed as a key partner platform in iCET's official website footer, indicating an active collaborative relationship for climate solution research and dissemination.
• 北京大学能源研究院flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the 中国可持续航空燃料 (SAF) 发展研讨会 with iCET in April 2025. The collaboration combines academic energy research expertise with iCET's transportation policy research to advance SAF development dialogue and policy recommendations for China's 15th Five-Year Plan.
• 世界银行 (World Bank)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the 'China E-Mobility主题沙龙' series (5th edition held in June 2021) focused on city cluster transportation carbon neutrality pathways. The collaboration leverages World Bank's international development expertise with iCET's China transportation electrification research.
• 德国国际合作机构 (GIZ)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on multiple projects including the 中德低碳交通合作项目, joint沙龙 on automotive supply chain carbon reduction, and Zero-Emission Freight Action (ZEFI) partnerships. GIZ provides international cooperation framework support for iCET's technical research on clean transportation.
• 香港思匯政策研究所 (Civic Exchange)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly conducted the 粤港澳大湾区交通净零碳排放路线图研究 (Greater Bay Area Transportation Zero-Carbon Roadmap), including Phase 1 (Guangdong Province roads) and Phase 2 (extending to Hong Kong and Macau). The partnership enables cross-border policy research across the Greater Bay Area's distinct administrative systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global disclosure system for environmental data used by iCET-adjacent carbon registry and GHG reporting efforts - adjacent infrastructure in the same space of corporate/transportation climate transparency.
• Climate Bonds Initiative: International organization operating certification and standards programs (including for low-carbon transport and emerging SAF criteria) that iCET explicitly references in its SAF certification work - adjacent enabler in the same analytical ecosystem.
• Energy Foundation China: Major philanthropic funder of clean energy/transportation research in China and iCET's primary financial backer; comparable as ecosystem participant shaping the same research agenda, but functions as funder rather than think tank.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global sustainability consulting firm active in clean transportation, SAF and corporate carbon accounting - adjacent comparator that monetizes similar analytical capabilities for corporate clients rather than as public goods.

Broad incumbents

• CATARC (China Automotive Technology and Research Center): Government-affiliated research center covering automotive standards, testing, and policy including CAFC/NEV dual-credit and fuel-economy standards - a broader incumbent that overlaps iCET's policy-influence role in NEV/CV regulation but operates as part of a much larger portfolio.

Direct peers

• Rocky Mountain Institute: Independent energy think tank active in China on clean power, mobility, and industrial decarbonization; matches iCET's model of foundation-funded research plus public tool/platform outputs (e.g., RMI's China heavy-duty trucking work parallels BestECV).
• International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT): Independent global think tank producing policy-relevant research on vehicle emissions, electric mobility, and clean transportation - directly comparable to iCET's portfolio on commercial vehicle electrification, NEV policy, and decarbonization roadmaps, with substantial China presence.
• NRDC China Program: Operates a major China program on climate, clean energy, and clean transportation through policy research and convening, with comparable international-foundation funding model and similar focus on heavy-duty truck/aviation/marine decarbonization.
• China EV100 (中国电动汽车百人会): China's leading electric-vehicle industry think tank convening high-profile annual forums and policy dialogue among automakers, government, and researchers - directly comparable in mission, NEV/CV policy focus, and 100+ expert convening format.
• WRI China (World Resources Institute): Operates as a research-driven sustainability organization in China focused on climate, energy, and sustainable cities with transportation decarbonization work - directly comparable on model-building, sub-national roadmap research, and multi-stakeholder convening.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iCET_China

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation