China May Increase Subsidies for Hybrid Vehicles, Minister Says

China, failing to convince motorists to buy electric cars, is considering widening state subsidies for gasoline-electric automobiles and other fuel-efficient vehicles, according to the industry minister.

It is more “realistic and practical” for the government to promote hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles than just electric vehicles, Miao Wei, minister for industry and information technology, told reporters at the National People’s Congress in Beijing yesterday. The government will seek to introduce the amended policy in the first half, though the plan needs to be coordinated with the finance ministry and other government branches, he said.