Chinese Premier Li Keqiang ordered government agencies and public service providers in China to buy more electric vehicles starting this year.

 

EVs and plug-in hybrids now must account for more than 50 percent of new vehicles purchased by government agencies, public transport and taxi operators, urban garbage collection and cargo delivery companies, Li said at a meeting organized by the State Council, China's Cabinet.

 

That target is much higher than the State Council's directive in 2014, which stipulated that more than 30 percent of government fleet purchases from 2014 to 2016 must be EVs or plug-in hybrids.

 

The new requirement is Beijing's latest effort to promote the use of "green" vehicles.

 

China's government has doled out generous subsidies for EVs, plug-in hybrids and fuel cell vehicles. Conventional hybrids such as the Toyota Prius do not qualify.

 

The government also has laid out plans to boost construction of public battery-charging facilities.

 

Last year, combined sales of EVs and plug-in hybrids in China soared 340 percent to 331,092 vehicles.