Beijing Offers 20,000 Extra EV License Plates to Boost Auto Sales

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Beijing, a city of nearly 22 million, has enforced a strict quota system on car purchases since 2011 to combat severe congestion and air pollution

Beijing is to offer local households an extra 20,000 license plates to buy electric vehicles (EVs), the capital’s first relaxation of auto ownership restrictions in more than 10 years. The move is seen as an effort to boost domestic EV sales.

The municipal transportation authority said the purchase quota will be available to families who don’t own a car and can only be used to buy purely electric vehicles. A list of those eligible will be published Sunday.

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Beijing will offer an additional 20,000 EV license plates to families without cars, the first relaxation in over a decade.
The city of nearly 22 million has strict car purchase quotas due to congestion and pollution; 3.25 million wait for EV quotas.
Beijing's car ownership exceeded 7.5 million by the end of 2023, surpassing its target of capping car ownership at 7 million.

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What Happened When

2011：: Beijing enforced a strict quota system on car purchases to combat congestion and air pollution, capping the number of new license plates at 240,000 a year.

2014：: The number of new license plates in Beijing was reduced to 150,000 a year.

2018：: The number of new license plates in Beijing was further reduced to 100,000 a year.

By the end of 2023：: Total car ownership in Beijing exceeded 7.5 million, up 6.48% from a year ago.

As of 2024-03-08：: There were 538,000 individual and corporate applicants waiting for conventional vehicle licenses, and 3.25 million applicants for EV quotas.