80% of net surfers eager to buy tax-free hybrid cars

Shanghai, May 13 (Gasgoo.com) The Chinese government has decided to stop levying purchase taxes on hybrid vehicles starting in the second half of 2008, and this means that the buyer of a hybrid car can save at least 10,000 yuan ($1,430). A recent online survey by China's most popular web portal sina.com.cn shows that 77.56% of the net surfers on the website's auto channel are willing to buy the energy-efficiency hybrid cars after the government implements its policy of the tax exemption on the buying of hybrid cars.

The survey carried out at sina.com.cn from May 7 afternoon to May 9 morning attracted the votes of 3327 surfers, with over 80% of them aged between 26 and 45. The survey results reveal that 66.43% of the voters know something about the hybrid cars (20.59% of this group saying they know much about hybrid cars), and at the same time there are 2581 voters, or 77.56% of the total in the survey, saying that they will choose to buy a hybrid car first after the government starts later this year to scrap the taxes on the buying of hybrid vehicles.

This survey also shows signs that the government-recommended new-energy vehicles will enter the mass market after a period of strong hypes but weak sales. Nearly 80% of the voters of the online survey know most about the Japanese hybrid cars, with the Toyota Prius (with can save 24,000 yuan) best known to these Chinese surfers.

In addition the purchase tax exemption, another important reason for the voters online to buy the hybrid cars is that these new-energy vehicles can save at least 30% of the fuel, a feature that can also boost the vehicle's performance and comfort. Plus, most of the voters are more willing to buy imported hybrid cars.