Make 30pc of vehicles 'new energy' models by 2016, Chinese cities and government departments told
At least 30 per cent of annual vehicle purchases must be of "new energy" models by 2016, all central government departments and mainland city administrations have been told.
At least 30 per cent of annual vehicle purchases must be of "new energy" models by 2016, all central government departments and mainland city administrations have been told. The move is part of efforts to combat air pollution.
A circular issued yesterday by the ministries of finance, science and technology, and industry and information technology and the National Development and Reform Commission said the mandatory requirement for the public sector would "facilitate technological improvement of the new-energy vehicle industry, promote the environmental protection industry's development and tackle air pollution".
Former health minister Chen Zhu has said air pollution causes 350,000 to 500,000 premature deaths a year on the mainland.
New-energy vehicles are defined as all-electric, plug-in hybrid electric or fuel-cell models.
All-electric vehicles can be recharged from any external electricity source, like wall sockets and rechargeable batteries.
Plug-in hybrids, powered primarily by electricity and supplemented by petrol, have a longer mileage range after each recharge and are cheaper since their battery capacity is smaller, but they emit a greater amount of pollutants.
