Tesla's sluggish China sales may get boost as Beijing expected to bend lottery rules for car maker's plates amid electric vehicle push

Beijing is about to make it easier for buyers of a Tesla Model S to get a license plate in the increasingly congested capital, according to sources close to the municipal transport authorities, Chinese news site stcn.com reported on Tuesday.
The city, which has over 5 million cars on the road, has been dishing out plates via a lottery system since 2011. But the odds of motorists there getting one for a petrol - or diesel - powered car are less than 1 per cent, compared to 38 per cent for a new energy vehicle.
Previously, foreign auto makers were all bundled into the same lottery system, regardless of what kind of fuel they depended on.
But Beijing is expected to announce a policy change this month during which it will make an exception for the California-headquartered company founded by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk 12 years ago.
Sources told Chinese media that Tesla cars will be put on a special list of new energy cars for the first time among foreign auto makers.
