China Is Said to Plan Strict Gas Mileage Rules

[Coventina]

Source: New York Times

HONG KONG — Worried about heavy reliance on imported oil, Chinese officials have drafted automotive fuel economy standards that are even more stringent than those outlined by President Obama last week, Chinese experts with a detailed knowledge of the plans said on Wednesday.

The new plan would require automakers in China to improve fuel economy by an additional 18 percent by 2015, said An Feng, a leading architect of China’s existing fuel economy regulations who is now the president of the Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation, a nonprofit group in Beijing.

The plan is going through the interagency approval process, with comments sought from automakers, and is scheduled for release early next year, he said.

The Chinese government tends to make few changes in automotive regulations once the interagency review process has started.


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/28/business/energy-environment/28fuel.html?ref=world

[David__77]

1. China really doesn't encourage private car ownership.

It is taxed pretty heavily. Given China's socioeconomic composition, that's a progressive policy, I would say. Good that they're enforcing high efficiency standards.