New legislation may put additional limits on EV buyers in Beijing

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai October 25) - The Beijing government is considering adding new stipulations to upcoming legislation which allows residents purchasing pure electric vehicles to bypass the city's registration plate lottery, the Beijing Times reported today. According to the new clauses, current passenger car owners will not be able to apply for a new pure electric vehicle. Furthermore, residents who have already applied for an EV registration will be prohibited from entering the license plate lottery, which is meant for gasoline vehicles.

However, some government officials worry that such clauses will severely reduce the number of EV registration applicants. "If the [restrictions] are applied, Beijing's pure electric passenger automobile market will lose 90 percent of its potential customers," an official involved with the legislation stated, adding that it will deal a major blow to the city's EV manufacturers, such as BAIC and Changan.

Furthermore, the government added that the pure EV registration legislation is expected to be released by the end of the year. It explained that the policy requires the involvement of several departments, which is why it has yet to be implemented. The above official added that the legislation requires the Beijing Municipal Committee's approval before becoming effective, adding that that process will "definitely" be completed within the year.

In addition to not having to register for the lottery, pure EV registration applicants will also be eligible for a subsidy of up to 60,000 yuan ($9,533) when purchasing their vehicle.