China's automobiles sales grew for the first time since 2018 last year, a trade association said on Tuesday, as demand for new energy vehicles continues to rise.

The jump comes as the world's biggest polluter targets ambitious goals for the widespread adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, aiming to have a majority of cars powered with clean energy by 2035.

Around 20 million new vehicles across categories were sold in 2021, a rise of 4.4 percent on-year, rebounding after auto sales fell in 2018 and 2019, according to figures from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).

In 2020, auto sales also took a hit from the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year's uptick came as nearly three million new-energy vehicles -- including electric and hybrid models -- were sold in the world's biggest car market, accounting for a 169 percent surge.

US electric vehicle maker Tesla in particular sold a record 70,847 cars in December.

The CPCA targets sales of new energy passenger cars to hit 5.5 million in 2022, up from earlier expectations of 4.8 million units.

Alongside Tesla, many Chinese challengers including BYD, Nio and XPeng are also competing in this sector.

The Chinese market has been bolstered by purchase subsidies but authorities have said these are set to end by late December.

bys-sbr/ssy

TESLA MOTORS

XPENG

BYD COMPANY

Related Links
Car Technology at SpaceMart.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Unequal cycling boom: bicycles are increasingly turning into status symbols
Cologne, Germany (SPX) Jan 11, 2022
Cycling increased in Germany by more than 40 per cent between 1996 and 2018. This trend mostly affects people with a higher level of education. In 2018, city dwellers in Germany with a high level of education (Abitur) cycled 70 minutes per week on average, twice as much as in 1996. For residents of less urban areas without Abitur, however, hardly anything changed over this period. City dwellers with high education now cycle three times as long as those living in rural areas with lower education. ... read more