The United States and China are two fundamentally different countries, and nowhere does that shine through more obviously than in transportation. While American politicians block any and all efforts to promote alternative fuels and high-speed transportation, China has wholly embraced these concepts. And now China’s government has revealed a new set of extremely generous subsidies that will apply to all electric vehicles built in China.
According to China Daily, the Chinese government is making electric vehicles a top priority, putting aside $1.5 billion per year for the next ten years to advance the EV market. For all domestically-produced electric vehicles (of which there are currently 49 either on the market or soon coming to market), the government will waive sales tax, effectively cutting EV prices by 9%.
Additionally, subsidies of up to 120,000 yuan ($19,100) will be offered, which is up from the 60,000 yuan (or about $9,500) that the government had previously offered. As with U.S. subsidies, the amount will be reduced as more and more EVs are sold. Fuel cell vehicles will also benefit from the tax break, though hybrids will only get a 50% reduction in sales tax.
As for EVs made outside of China? They not only get zero subsidies, but must pay a 25% customs duty on top of the 9% sales tax, meaning it all but kills the market for imported EVs.
How does America respond? By cutting three EV tax credits, and threatening to repeal the $7,500 tax credit, on top of killing any and all hopes of having a high-speed rail network linking our country. It will be interesting to see what effect, if any, these tax credits have on electric vehicle sales in China, as questions about range and charging are universally shared.
But if I could save almost $20,000 off the cost of a LEAF or Volt, I’d go buy one tomorrow. As it is, we all stand a better chance of affording cheap Chinese-made EVs as they prop up this burgeoning domestic industry. Foreign automakers like VW and GM are going to have to sign alliances or build their cars in China to compete, each carrying its own costs that can’t necessarily be put into gains or losses columns.
Source: China Daily via The Truth About Cars
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About Christopher DeMorro
One more fundamental difference: Bill Gates and his fortune helping develop reactors that fission “Waste Fuels” from American Fuckoshima designs in China producing a bonanza fo electric power. These same reactor designs will safely, cheaply and efficiently fission very plentiful Thorium as fuel, yield much more energy, and much less, relatively benign waste. The American Nuclear Establishment pushed Bill and other geniuses away, mostly out of self preservation and preservation of their very profitable “Status Quo” in America.
America, stuck on low efficiency, low compression, gasoline engines with rubber wheels can hardly realize the massive economic benefits, economic benefits of electric bullet train transportation. Americans can hardly see the new European paradigm, electric trains again, and a thrust away from Uranium fissioning reactors until Bill returns West with new and amazing technologies for the new nuclear paradigm.
Anti-American? Insulting? True? Just an accumulation of current day facts. No more no less.
Bill’s traveling wave reactor that you go on and on about is a uranium fissioning reactor. I just keep trying to look more into it to see if it is using thorium at all and have not found any information saying that it does. I am not saying that it doesnt use thorium I just havent found that info anywhere yet, BUT with out a doubt it is a uranium fissioning beast. It is supposed to be a form of uranium to plutonium breeder, from all the info on it I can currently find.
China which you also go on and on about is working on a thorium reactor but it is based on US technology it is the Liquid Floride Thorium Reactor or LFTR pronounced “lifter”. It is a MSR molten-salt-reactor that the US failed to build and use when it was in development here from the late 50s to the 70s. But the Chinese came out did a tour of where the project was worked on and now they want to have their demonstration unit up and running by 2015.
It wasnt the status quo that pushed him out for his nuke tech it is the government and the NCR Nuclear Regulatory Commity . The same commity that hasnt allowed a standard nuclear plant to be built in the US since before the 80s.
Just trying to help you get your “accumulation of current day facts. No more no less.” correct.
-T
China subsidizes its domestic electric cars but it blackmails GM so that if they want to sell Chevy Volt in China they need a Chinese partner and they must teach all their technology to that partner. Don’t do it GM! China is laughing their heads of about how dumb Americans are because we just keep giving them technlogy. Read more at http://www.china-threat.com