In order to prevent the worsening of the environmental situation in the city, the authorities in Shanghai (with a population exceeding 24 million people) are conducting auctions for the sale of vehicle license plates. This is intended to limit the number of new cars on the roads and encourage the population to use alternative transportation.
An exception to this rule is made for fully electric vehicles manufactured directly in China.
With the introduction of the luxury electric car Tesla Model S to the Chinese market, this exception has also been extended to imported electric vehicles. Given that the cost of a new license plate is far from symbolic and can reach $15,000, this initiative could actively encourage car enthusiasts to switch to environmentally friendly transport, as the price of an electric vehicle will no longer seem so high.
So far, the automaker has received 3,000 free licenses (license plates), and it is still unknown whether this rule will continue to apply to imported electric vehicles once the limit is reached.
Thus, the Chinese automotive industry and the car enthusiast community have every chance and, importantly, the incentives to once again be at the forefront of the implementation of individual electric transport.
