42,800 new-energy cars exempt from purchase tax

An electric car is shown at the Qualcomm booth during the 2015 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada Jan 6, 2015. [Photo / Agencies]

BEIJING -- China has exempted roughly 42,800 buyers of new-energy vehicles from a 10-percent purchase tax since a new policy became effective last September, an official statement said.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in the statement on its website that it has designated three types of 377 new energy vehicle models from 57 manufacturers that might benefit from the tax exemption.

From September 2014 to January 2015, about 42,800 owners enjoyed the exemption, including owners of 36,600 passenger vehicles and 6,207 commercial vehicles.

The Chinese government rolled out the policy in a bid to save energy and reduce pollution.

From Sept. 1, 2014 to the end of 2017, buyers of qualified pure electric cars, plug-in hybrid electric cars and fuel cell cars will not have to pay the vehicle purchase tax.

Related story: Sales of new-energy vehicles expected to surge this year, by Li Fusheng

A car sits at the first solar energy charging station in Beijing. The city has built 1,500 public charging facilities and plans to have 10,000 by the end of 2017. [Photo provided to China Daily]

New-energy vehicles, especially purely electric models, will see increased development in 2015 now that the government and businesses are exploring new roads to improve the charging network.

Experts believe that sales in 2015 will surge even higher as it becomes easier to charge newenergy vehicles.

Local authorities in Beijing have built 1,500 public charging poles, with 60 percent located within the fifth-ring road. They said the number of charging poles would rise to 10,000 by the end of 2017.

The capital's reform and development commission said it is inviting private capital to join the effort by offering subsidies to those who build charging facilities for public use.

The government in the neighboring city of Tianjin is also working hard to promote the development of new-energy vehicles.

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