In the Continuing Push to Clean its Air, China Bans 553 Car Models

author: Eric Walz   

BEIJING — For years, China has struggled with excessive air pollution, especially in major cities such as Beijing. Now, China is taking another big step to fight pollution and bring back blue skies —by banning the sale of 553 vehicle models that do not meet China's strict new emission goals.

The ban takes effect on January 1 the China Vehicle Technology Service Center said, according to Bloomberg News. While many of the vehicles affected are vehicles produced by Chinese manufacturers, models from more established global automakers such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Chevrolet are also included.

The move reflects the seriousness of the pollution problem and the government's determination to address it. In recent months, the Chinese government has cut back steel production, restricted coal use, and rolled out a plan to eliminate internal combustion engines in cars by 2040.

It's unclear how many distinct vehicles are produced in China, but the 553 models form a "very small" percentage said Cui Dongshu, secretary general of the China Passenger Car Association. In addition to eliminating vehicles, the government has incentivized the production of electric and other zero-emission vehicles.

The government's recent push to expand the production and sale of NEVs (new energy vehicles) has traditional and start-up automakers switching to electric vehicles to meet the requirements.

China's capital city Beijing is set to record its biggest improvement in air quality in at least nine years, with a nearly 20 percent change for the better this year, based on average concentration levels of hazardous breathable particles known as PM2.5. Estimates show that average levels of the pollutants in the capital city have fallen by about 35 percent from 2012 numbers, with nearly half the improvement this year.

With the new ban, government officials remain confident they are starting to make progress addressing China's air pollution problem.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.