China offers generous rebates on green cars
As part of its planned £20bn spend on alternative-fuel vehicles before 2012, the Chinese government is to offer cash rebates to buyers of green cars and buses in thirteen of its largest cities.
The rebates will operate on a sliding scale and will be worth from the equivalent of £5,000 (50,000 Yuan) for a small hybrid city car up to more than £60,000 (600,000 Yuan) for a fuel cell bus.
Huge investment in green vehicles
China plans to spend the equivalent of almost £20bn over the next three years in order to develop and promote vehicles powered by alternative fuels – mainly those used for public transport. The government has recently announced that 60,000 alternative-fuel vehicles will be tested in 11 cities.
The Chinese government is also considering reforms to fuel taxation and pricing in order to stimulate sales of fuel efficient vehicles.
To what type of car will the rebates apply?
It is more than likely that the rebates will apply only to Chinese-built electric and hybrid vehicles, such as the BYD F6 – the world’s first massed-produced, plug-in vehicle to go on sale.
The BYD F6 can run on a conventional petrol engine or for 62 miles on battery power alone. The batteries can be topped up via a household electrical supply – conventional hybrid cars use a petrol or diesel engine to charge their batteries.
The firm says the F6 model is due to be launched throughout America and Europe in 2011.
The car is on sale for 150,000 yuan (£14,000) and has beaten a plug-in version of the Toyota Prius to market.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The huge investment being made by China in its alternative fuel vehicles is not simply protectionism, but a recognition that green technology is a valuable future market.”
What is a hybrid car?
| hybrid car info | …at a glance |
|---|---|
| What is a hybrid car? | A hybrid vehicle must have two independent methods of propulsion; each with their own power supply |
| How do hybrid cars work? | Petrol-electric or diesel-electric hybrids supply power to the transmission from a battery, by means of an electric motor. However, they also contain a conventionally-fuelled engine, which both recharges the battery and supplies extra power to the transmission |
| Where can you buy hybrids? | Hybrids are slowly becoming mainstream, but so far only Lexus, Honda and Toyota produce hybrid cars available in Britain |
| Advantages of hybrid cars | more fuel efficient than a conventional vehicle of the same type, reduced emissions and cheaper running costs, exempt from London Congestion Charge and no changes needed to your driving habits |
| Disadvantages of hybrid cars | Still relies on fossil fuels and therefore generates greenhouse gases and they cost more to buy than conventionally-powered cars |
Related hybrid car articles:
New hybrid car is DIY
Brown wants all cars electric by 2020
Green car buyers’ guide
Green driving tips
New car tax: How much will you pay in 2009?
What is the ETA?
The ETA is an ethical organisation providing motorists and cyclists with green breakdown cover and green insurance products. The ETA exists in order to campaign for sustainable transport – when you buy our services below you help fund our charitable work.