China to be biggest electric car market

China expects to become the world's biggest electric car market this year, surpassing the US, with sales of up to 250,000 vehicles.

Visitors look at an electric car during an exhibition in Beijing

China is forecast to become the world's biggest electric car market this year, surpassing the US. (AAP)

China is forecast to become the world's biggest electric car market this year, with sales estimated at 220,000 to 250,000 vehicles, the official news agency Xinhua says, quoting the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Worldwide electric cars sales are expected to increase to 600,000 this year, association deputy secretary-general Xu Yanhua told an industry conference on Sunday.

China is tipped to surpass the United States as the world's biggest electric car market, she said, putting the US market at an estimated 180,000 vehicles.

China's electric-car industry is developing rapidly, but quality and not just quantity should be the focus for the development to be sustainable, Xu said.

Safety and the quality of batteries should be carefully supervised, she added.

The industry saw explosive growth in the past two years, thanks to supportive government policies, including subsidies and tax cuts.

In the first 10 months of this year, sales of electric cars surged 290 per cent year-on-year to 171,145, according to the association's data.


Share

1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world