China to restrict lithium battery vehicles to certain city roads

Shanghai, June 29 (Gasgoo.com) China will restrict the marketing and use of vehicles run on lithium ion batteries to certain areas in cities but is yet to specify on where, Chinese newspaper Jinghua newspaper reports Monday.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has published a report on the development of different types of new energy vehicles, which says electric and lithium ion batteries are still under development, therefore can only be sold in prescriptive regions.

The report also indicate that hybrid, fuel-cell and dimethyl ether vehicle are in their initial stage, so they can only be produced in a small volume and sold in prescriptive regions under supervision of related government regulatory body. Vehicles run on lead acid storage battery and nickel hydrogen batteries are immune from these restrictions because they are considered to be safer and more mature.

Currently hybrid versions of Changgan Jiexun, Chery A5, FAW Bestern, and GM Lacrosse are powered by nickel hydrogen batteries and are thus not affected by the rule, but some electric vehicles made by Japanese manufacturers as well as China's BYD Auto Co will be required to be sold in prescriptive roads.