China to preload BeiDou for most motorcycles by 2018

BEIJING - Most motorcycles made in China are expected to be preloaded with BeiDou navigation system by 2018, according to a meeting on the promotion of BeiDou on Monday.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), more than 20 million motorcycles equipped with BeiDou are expected to be put on the market, over half of which will be aimed at overseas markets.

At the meeting, China's 15 major motorcycle producers reached consensus on reaching these targets.

Promoting BeiDou for car networking usage will help improve traffic management, relieve congestion, cut down robbery and motivate energy saving and environmental protection, said Bo Yumin, chief engineer of the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People's Republic of China.

"BeiDou is ready for civic use. It will help to improve the efficiency of accident rescue, and reduce loss of life," said Qiao Yueshan, deputy director of information technology department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

China launched the 23rd satellite last year for BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) to improve the stability of this self-developed navigation system, and prepare it for global coverage.