China ambitious to promote energy-saving auto

Beijing (CNS) -- The auto industry's long-awaited roadmap, the Energy-Saving and New-Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan, was finally approved at an executive meeting of the state council on Wednesday.

It will steer China through the development of pure electric vehicles, in a bold trajectory designed to revitalize the auto industry. The industrialization of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be the industry priority, along with wider use of hybrid and energy-saving combustion-engine powered automobiles.

The plan revolves around the ambitious goal of accumulative production achieving sales of 500,000 pure electric and plug-in vehicles by 2015, and more than five million by 2020.

In terms of fuel consumption by passenger cars, it aims to lower the average amount to 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers in 2015, and further to five liters per 100 kilometers in 2020.

The government will adopt a series of polices to encourage individuals to purchase and use energy-saving vehicles, such as offering subsidies and setting up a network of convenient recharging facilities.