Nothing to do with eggs or baskets. About a decade ago, China,s mega cities were choking on smog. Literally overnight, they pushed EV,s and taxed gas cars. You could not get a numberplate for a gas car. It worked. No more pollution or smog. A side effect is they became the world leader in ev cars.
Hybrid-powered vehicles are proving more popular than battery-only ones in China,road tax for EV’s and hybrid vehicles are exempt from paying vehicle tax under the 2012 regulations. Road tax for petrol vehicles is based on the engine size and seating capacity (A 1.2l small car will pay approx $45 in Beijing), Purchase tax is compulsary on all vehicles however EV and hybrid vehicles receive a 2yr grace period in 2024.
Public outcry in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, leading Chinese authorities fitting scrubbers to coal power plants to curb the dirtiest emissions and saw a tightened rules governing sulphate from vehicle exhausts, leading to a 75 per cent drop in sulphate emissions. The downside is, as the smog started to clear the earth warmed. Scientists believe the smog kept the world cool!
Today China 1,161 operational coal power plants, 367 coal mines and 927 records of REE mining using heavy machinery for extraction, along with been leaders in renewables. it still maintains a high carbon footprint.
However, my point China doesn’t put all its eggs in one basket remains 🙂