EV buyers in Beijing no longer exempt from license plate lottery

Beijing citizens purchasing pure electric vehicles will no longer be exempt from participation in the city's registration plate lottery, the Beijing Times reported today, citing statements made by officials in the Municipal Commission of Transport.

City officials were keen to emphasize that Beijing remains committed to encouraging the development of new energy and clean energy vehicles. To date there a total of 5,988 new energy and clean energy vehicles on the city's streets, with the majority being public and private buses, taxis and trucks. New energy vehicles are estimated to make up 60 percent of the city's public transit fleet by the end of 2017. There are already 600 pure electric taxis operating in seven of Beijing's outlying districts.

Citizens aiming to purchase pure EVs are still eligible to receive certain subsidies, with individual savings going as high as 120,000 yuan ($19,412).