Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The means of car ownership is also assumed to change over time in Jinan, with less use of
the conventional model (private ownership) and a greater use of rental and shared ownership
schemes. These can be developed as part of car-free or low-car developments. Building on
the success of cycle hire schemes, Paris now offers an
autolib'
car sharing programme with
around 4,000 small electric cars available for the public's use. This type of scheme can act
as a model for development in Jinan. A third approach is the use of the 'yellow tag' for high
emission and low fuel efficiency, usually older, vehicles. The vehicles with yellow tags are
restricted to run in suburban areas, and not in the urban centre. Over time, the city government
can phase out the older vehicles and encourage the use of more efficient vehicles.
Battery and plug-in hybrid vehicles
China is investing heavily in research and development and commercialisation of cleaner
vehicles, such as battery vehicles and hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles (Ni, 2008; Sperling and
Gordon, 2009). In the past 10 years, the Chinese government has allocated more than 10
billion yuan (US$1.52 billion) to research and development in energy conservation and
emissions reduction technologies, of which 2 billion yuan has been invested in electric vehicles,
been implemented. This programme aims to select ten cities each year and promote 1,000
demonstration vehicles. So far twenty-five cities and fifty-four automobile manufacturers have
been involved in the national programme.
The programme initially focused on buses and other commercial vehicles, but since 2010
a pilot programme has been developed in five cities (Shanghai, Hefei, Hangzhou, Shenzhen
and Changchun) to subsidise the purchase of electric cars, involving up to 60,000 yuan
(US$9,160) off the price of a battery car and 50,000 yuan (US$7,634) off plug-in hybrids.
The subsidy is paid directly to the car manufacturers, who then reduce the vehicle price
accordingly. Individual buyers of electric vehicles can also get a 3,000-yuan (US$458) subsidy
from dealers.
The Chinese government has an ambitious plan to invest 100 billion yuan (US$15.2 billion)
in electric and hybrid vehicles over the next 10 years, and it has set a target for 1 million
ambitious in terms of electric vehicles, but perhaps the focus is weak in terms of reducing
motorisation growth (albeit this is likely to be a cleaner fleet). The adverse impact of a large
vehicle fleet on congestion and the urban fabric cannot be reduced by clean vehicles, but the
clear intention to support the motor manufacturing industry seems to override these problems.
Jinan is one of twenty-five cities selected to promote cleaner buses and commercial vehicles
and building infrastructure for battery charging, and it is drafting its low carbon development
plan. Jinan is not one of the five cities which promote battery and plug-in hybrid cars through
subsidy, but it is promoting its automotive industry sector through the construction of cleaner
vehicle manufacturing.
TDM and pricing regimes
Increased charging for car use is also critical to make the relative marginal cost of using public
transport (and cycling and walking) more attractive and to help restrict the expected growth
in car ownership and use. There are a number of levers that can be used, including taxation
and pricing regimes:
