China's new energy drivers

A girl sits in a BYD car in the 15th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, last year. [Carlos Barria / Reuters]

BEIJING - At the last minute, new energy vehicles (NEVs) were marshaled retrospectively into a government work plan for the battle against pollution in 2014.

NEV use was bolted on to the government work report delivered by Premier Li Keqiang at the annual parliamentary session which ended on Thursday. With the potential to save energy and reduce emissions, the NEV industry will receive government support.

Tesla Motors

New Energy Drive

Decades of economic expansion have polluted China's air, water and soil, and the onus has shifted now from pollution to protection.

Some progress has already been made, and the general public have become more environment savvy, but pollution plays a big part in people's daily lives. Last month, smog covered nearly 20 percent of China's territory for a whole week.

At times like that, factories are shut down and construction halted. As a last resort, cars are pulled off roads.

Such expediency is singularly inconvenient for the public, and the authorities have been obliged to start being a bit more clever. While not exactly a revolutionary idea, vehicles that use alternative fuel and electricity are an option.

In 2010, NEVs began to be subsidized in five pilot cities to the tune of 60,000 yuan ($9,800) for a battery powered vehicle and 50,000 yuan for a hybrid.

Last year, nearly 18,000 NEVs were sold, 14,600 of which ran on batteries. Henceforth, NEVs will be promoted in 83 cities.

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