China is getting serious about its efforts to reduce pollution as the country will reportedly require automakers stop production of 553 passenger vehicles by January 1st.
Bloomberg reports the production halt will affect models that don’t meet the country’s fuel-consumption limits and these reportedly include vehicles from Audi, Chevrolet, and Mercedes-Benz. While 553 vehicles sounds like a lot, the secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association told the publication it’s actually a “very small” percentage of passenger cars that are produced in China.
The list was compiled by the China Vehicle Technology Service Center and an analyst for China Merchants Securities noted it is the first time the country has created an official list of offending vehicles. Wang Liusheng went on to say “Such documents will surface frequently in the future” and he believes it’s “an essential move to ensure the healthy development of the industry in the long run.”
China is one of the largest markets for electric vehicles and the country has been considering banning the sale of vehicles powered by petrol and diesel engines. However, the plan has faced some opposition including from GM CEO Mary Barra who stated “We’ve encouraged the Chinese government to work with us and work with the industry to make sure we’re creating the excitement and demand for electric vehicles as opposed to it just being mandated.”
Photo Gallery
