Shanghai gives incentives to phase out emission-heavy cars

Customers look to buy cars at a Mercedes-Benz store in Shanghai, Feb 23, 2019. [Photo/IC]

Owners of emission-heavy private cars are able to enjoy a trade-in service from SAIC Motor, China's biggest carmaker based in Shanghai, as the city is giving incentives to phase out the cars for better air quality.

The trade-in plan that started on March 1 has already rewarded over 800 car owners, with another 1,000 in the verification process, announced SAIC Motors Wednesday.

There are over 600,000 private cars with exhaust emissions failing to meet the national Stage III standard in Shanghai. Regardless of the brand, the car owners can trade in new ones from SAIC Motors, through which they can get cash rewards.

The cash rewards can go up to 10,000 yuan ($1,490 U.S. dollars) for buying fuel-engine new vehicles, and 15,000 yuan for new energy cars.

The municipal government has approved a subsidy plan worth 3 billion yuan for the trade-in scheme.

Meanwhile, the city is replacing public vehicles such as buses, taxis and postal vehicles with new energy ones in the city's green transport upgrading, said Shi Wenjun, an official with the Shanghai Commission of Economy and Information Technology.

He said Shanghai has planned to add more charging stations for electric cars and add more hydrogen stations to facilitate the growth in new energy cars.

In 2018, Shanghai recorded 73,724 new-energy car registrations, up more than 20 percent from a year earlier to reach 240,000 in total. This year, the city will see another 60,000 new cars on the road.