China has the world's most aggressive electric car goals. Communist leaders are promoting them to clean up smog-choked cities and in hopes of taking the lead in an emerging technology.
At the auto show, the global industry's biggest marketing event of the year, almost every global and Chinese auto brand is showing at least one electric concept vehicle, if not a market-ready model.
Heizmann said VW, which vies with GM for the title of China's top-selling automaker, expects annual sales of at least 400,000 "new energy vehicles" – the government's term for electric or gasoline-electric hybrids – by 2020 and 1.5 million by 2025.
The vast majority of Chinese get around by smog-free vehicles already. They're called bicycles.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday April 28 2017, @12:15AM (2 children)
In 2013, China was "the biggest importer of oil."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24475934 [bbc.co.uk]
The country has also been importing coal in recent years, notably from Australia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_in_China#International_trade [wikipedia.org]
However I'm under the impression that trade in coal is less politicised than that in petroleum. I can't think of a war that's been fought for coal.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 28 2017, @04:53AM (1 child)
It is high grade coal used for carbonizing steel.
I can't remember where it was mentioned, but it was in the comments on another article from a few days back, possibly the one discussing underground cities.
As such the coal importation does not have much of an effect on the power production side of emissions, but has a large one on the manufacturing side of things.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Friday April 28 2017, @06:24AM
Australia does indeed produce about half of the world's supply of expensive, metallurgical grade coal that is used in the production of steel. There was a story about that earlier this month:
Cyclone in Australia Could Disrupt Steel Production in Asia
/article.pl?sid=17/04/04/0115217 [soylentnews.org]
However, here are two articles from 2015 that say Australian "thermal" coal was being exported to China for use as fuel.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/australian-coal-industry-to-benefit-from-china-carbon-trading-says-mca-20150927-gjvun4.html [smh.com.au]
http://www.afr.com/news/world/australian-coal-the-loser-as-china-looks-for-cheaper-greener-options-20150930-gjxxd6 [afr.com]
another related article, from last month:
China to Cut Steel and Coal Production
/article.pl?sid=17/03/06/065224 [soylentnews.org]