(Bloomberg) -- From Tesla chargers in the ancient alleys that surround the Forbidden City in Beijing to lonely highway rest stops with charging posts in the western deserts, signs of the electrification of China’s transport fleet — and the demise of gasoline — are everywhere.Most Read from BloombergIn Traffic-Weary Toronto, a Battle Breaks Out Over Bike LanesIn Italy’s Motor City, Car-Free Options Are GrowingNew York City’s ‘Living Breakwaters’ Brace for Stormier SeasNow, according to official s
  • BlackLaZoR
    44•6 hours ago

    China’s sales of electric vehicles and hybrids have in fact reached a tipping point. They’ve accounted for more than half of retail passenger vehicle sales

    If you have cheap electricity and cheap batteries, people will buy EVs. Colour me surprised.

    • partial_accumenEnglish
      16•5 hours ago

      If you have cheap electricity and cheap batteries, people will buy EVs. Colour me surprised.

      Cheap EVs is part of it, and that part is subsidies from the government, but China has also increase the registration cost of pure ICE vehicles. Yeah, you can still buy them, but they’ll cost you a lot of extra money to register them to be legal to drive on the roads in China. On top of this, in major congestion areas, you have to get entered in a lottery to even get a license plate (ability to register a car). The government in China continues to reduce the number of ICE license plates available, and increases EV license plates. (source)

      So its a lot more than just “cheap electricity and cheap batteries” in action in China causing this massive switch to EVs.

      • @ZorqueEnglish
        6•5 hours ago

        And here I have to pay more to register my hybrid.

        • partial_accumenEnglish
          4•5 hours ago

          And here I have to pay more to register my hybrid.

          Same for my EV (double the hybrid registration cost in my state). However, that’s because of how road taxes are collected on the sale of gasoline/diesel fuel. Its still overpaying on EV taxes though. For the same registration fee I pay on an EV ($200/year) I could drive over 15,000 miles on a gasoline car getting 30 miles to the gallon. I drive maybe 11,000/year so I’m overly taxed compared to ICE drivers.

          • @ZorqueEnglish
            4•4 hours ago

            That’s the excuse they give, yes. That doesn’t mean it’s why they do it, though.

            • partial_accumenEnglish
              1•3 hours ago

              Sure, one action can have multiple reasons and outcomes. I agree with it in part that I need to pay my fair share of road taxes. I also recognize that this is a relatively new market force, and highly accurate consumption-to-taxation isn’t in place yet (again, for many reasons).

              That doesn’t mean it’s why they do it, though.

              Its not the only reason they do it.

      • BlackLaZoR
        4•5 hours ago

        The government in China continues to reduce the number of ICE license plates available, and increases EV license plates. (source)

        Afaik, they had (still have?) a massive air pollution issues in certain areas. This looks like attempt to alleviate these problems

      • Aatube
        3•5 hours ago

        Exactly this. Green license plates (EV-exclusive) are also a bit of a status symbol in China.