CRI听力:"Green Industry" on the Rise

At the Shanghai Auto Show, electric cars are powering ahead as a viable - and cleaner - alternative to the gas guzzler.

As air pollution in China's cities reaches record highs, car manufacturers are looking for ways to curb their emissions to meet up with the market demand.

CRI's Cao Yuwei has more.
 

Once considered all hype, and not much power, electric cars are now commonplace.

With 19-million cars sold last year, China is the world's largest car market.

Vehicle sales are currently growing at a 13-percent year on year.

However, fully electric vehicles, hybrids, plug-ins or other type of low-energy consuming cars are still very rare on China's streets and highways.

Electric cars still cost more than traditional fuel-powered cars.

Yale Zhang is director of Autoforesight, a consultancy company in Shanghai.

"Everybody knows in the industry, officials and even the average consumers, know that this is not a practical product for now. So people are getting more practical, so they will try to show some normal hybrid or some traditional vehicle with a better ICE internal combustion engine."

Among the more than 13-hundred vehicles on display at the Shanghai Auto Show, only 91 are new energy models, including 56 from international firms.

Amid increasing environmental concern among the public, the government has started to limit vehicle purchases in big cities, on top of raising carbon emission standards.

Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President of Nissan, says a number of manufacturers are looking to electric vehicles, given the air pollution problems here in China.

"Consumers are becoming more and more aware to air quality, air pollution. The effects on the planet and even more immediately the effects on us when we live in cities with polluted air. So it's an important question and it's influencing people's buying decisions."

Paul Lin is an exhibitor at the Shanghai Auto Show.

"They are waiting for the right products at the right time to arrive in this market. So, we believe we are the right one. We are going to see the market coming with quite a potential."

There is also speculation the authorities in Beijing may be preparing to resume offering new subsidies for electric car buyers.

For CRI, this is Cao Yuwei.