Beijing limits new car plates, boosts new energy vehicles

Beijing will further reduce the number of new car plates available to buyers and encourage the use of new energy vehicles in the next three years in a bid to reduce traffic gridlock and ease air pollution, authorities announced on Friday.

In 2018, the annual car license plate quota will be reduced to 100,000, down from 150,000 this year, according to the Beijing Commission of Transportation.

The new energy vehicle quota will remain at 60,000 next year while the number of gasoline-powered cars will be reduced to 40,000 from 90,000 this year.

In addition, 90 percent of new energy vehicles’ plates — 54,000 in total — will go to individual owners, while other applicants will compete for the remaining 6,000. Individual owners will be allocated 95 percent of gasoline-powered car plates — 38,000 in total — with the remaining 2,000 going to other applicants.

The city will adjust the license plate lottery system next year, giving lottery winners 12 months to purchase a car, up from the current six months.

The municipal government has accomplished the target of maintaining a total of 6 million vehicles this year.