2011 SU Update: 2,011 Green Vehicles to serve Universiade

SHENZHEN – A total of 2,011 new-energy vehicles will be put on the road in time to serve the Universiade, accounting for more than half of the vehicles needed by the Games. The new-energy vehicles would include hybrid buses, hybrid double-deckers, electric buses and minibuses, electric taxies and fuel cell buses, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported June 20th. The number of environment-friendly vehicles exceeds that during the Beijing Olympics and Shanghai Expo.

A total of 1,649 new-energy buses would be running on 77 bus routes, including 21 routes designated for the use of the Games, according to the city’s plan of promoting the use of green vehicles.

The green bus routes would cover all 44 Games venues with the support of more than 50 charging stations, the paper said.

The city government has formed a technical standard and production plan of the green vehicles, as well as a regular inspection mechanism.

Wuzhoulong Motors would make 1,511 of the needed green vehicles while the rest would be produced by BYD, a domestic pioneer in developing electric vehicles, the paper said. Both are Shenzhen automakers.

The city government has introduced private capital and professional operations in the promotion of the green vehicles by means of franchising, in order to achieve sustainable commercial operation of the new-energy vehicles.

Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang said he hoped the Universiade would become a model for the commercial operation of green vehicles.

One of the 13 pilot cities in the country to promote the use of new-energy vehicles, Shenzhen has set up the country’s first carbon account platform for new-energy car users, www.5igreen.org , which is run byCANGO Green Commuting Fund.

With an account, each user of new-energy cars can receive subsidies or awards from the fund based on their carbon emission reductions, which can be converted from their mileage. Besides new-energy car users, ordinary citizens can also open an account on the platform and buy carbon credits by offsetting carbon emissions in their daily commuting.

The city has started piloting a subsidy program to encourage the use of green vehicles. Each user of hybrid cars can receive a subsidy ranging from 4,000 yuan (US$617) to 80,000 yuan. Buyers of electric cars can receive a 120,000-yuan subsidy.

(Source: Shenzhen OC)