electric vehicles

Sales of electric vehicles rose by 55% last year in France with a total of 8770 vehicles sold. 

The best selling model was the Renault Zoe, sales of which reached 5511, or a 62.8% share of the EV market. The figures are up from 5663 EVs in 2012. 

China has unveiled a new round of subsidies for fuel-efficient vehicles in a bid to combat rising air pollution in its major cities.

The government will provide up to 60,000 yuan ($9,800) to buyers of all-electric, "near all-electric" and hydrogen vehicles until 2015, according to the BBC. The policy is expected to boost Chinese automakers such as BYD, which makes electric cars and batteries. However, the programme does not include gasoline-electric hybrid cars.

In a statement, the government said the policy was aimed at "accelerating the development of new-energy vehicles, promoting energy saving and reducing air pollution". China aims to put five million "new-energy" vehicles on the road by 2020.

According to the state-owned Xinhua news agency, there were about 27,800 new-energy vehicles being used last year, mostly buses. China's last electric vehicle subsidy programme expired at the end of 2012, but failed to provide a large boost to electric car sales.

China Racing has announced it will be taking part in the Formula E Championship electric vehicle race series in 2014. China Racing is the second of ten teams to be confirmed for the zero-emission race after UK-based Drayson Racing Technologies.

The teams will race on street circuits in ten cities across the world in electric cars. The cars for the inaugural year are being designed by McClaren, Spark Racing Technology and Dallara. All teams have the opportunity to use the customer car for the first year and encouraged to build their own cars for races in the following years. With support from Chinese automotive makers China Racing hopes to build a team car within three years.

(L-R): CEO Team China Racing – Steven Lu, Chairman Team China Racing - Yu Liu, FIA President - Jean Todt, First Secretary of the Chinese Embassy - Mr. Liang JianSheng, CEO Formula E Holdings - Alejandro Agag.

Alejandro Agag, Chief Executive Officer of Formula E Holdings said: “China has enormous potential for the expansion of electric vehicles as a tool to fight pollution in cities. We think the FIA Formula E Championship can be a powerful tool to make electric cars popular with the Chinese public, particularly the younger generations. Having a Chinese team with us in the Championship will be key to succeeding in that challenge.”