Electric Cars Sells toughly in China

SHENZHEN, CHINA ¡ª A pioneering electric-taxi project in this city, China¡¯s southern economic powerhouse, seems to be a success by most accounts. Riders are enthusiastic, there have been no accidents and drivers are termed ¡°gracious¡± ¡ª not a term usually applied to mainland drivers.

The pilot project, which could be replicated in other cities, underpins China¡¯s ambitious plans to put at least half a million electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids on the road by 2015.

The country is the world¡¯s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases ¡ª which scientists say are causing global warming ¡ª from the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities. With the largest and fastest-growing auto market in the world, China¡¯s carbon footprint can only grow.

To bolster China¡¯s energy security, Beijing has pronounced electric vehicles a top priority. It has earmarked $1.5 billion annually for the industry for the next 10 years in the hope that it can transform the country into one of the leading producers of clean vehicles.

But even with government support and the enthusiasm of electric-taxi customers, challenges remain if electric vehicles are to gain broader acceptance and widespread use.

Charging stations are few and far between, repair shops are hard to find and the cars are costly. Even after generous government support, a Shenzhen electric taxi costs 80 percent more than the Volkswagen Santana that ordinarily cruises the streets of Shenzhen.

¡°The electric car is still too expensive, and we ended up paying a lot more than for a Santana, even with government subsidies,¡± said Du Jun, general manager of Pengcheng E-taxi, the operator participating in the pilot project.

Local automakers like SAIC Motor and Dongfeng Motor Group have pledged large investments in greener vehicles. Global automakers, including BMW and Nissan Motor, are also working with local governments to roll out such vehicles ¡ª in these two cases the Mini E and the Leaf, respectively.

China¡¯s investment in the electric-vehicle industry has no comparable counterpart in the United States, although the U.S. Congress is considering a bill

that would allocate $2.9 billion for a program to help develop the infrastructure for widespread use of electric cars.

¡°I like the car,¡± Mr. Li, a 32-year-old software engineer, said as he got out of the taxi. ¡°It¡¯s big and sturdy, pretty much like an S.U.V., but not as noisy. It also saves me the 3-yuan fuel surcharge,¡± Mr. Li said, using a popular term for renminbi and referring to a charge equivalent to 46 cents. ¡°The problem is, there aren¡¯t many out there.¡±

Around Shanghai, for example, a metropolitan area with a population of more than 20 million, there are only 10 registered electric cars, while the number in Hangzhou is only slightly higher at 25, according to China Business News.

¡°Consumers are less concerned about government interests,¡± said Mr. Russo of Synergistics. ¡°They are more concerned about the economics and the real practical side of what it means to own an electric vehicle.

¡°They are not going to buy an E.V. to save the planet,¡± he continued. ¡°They will buy it only when it saves them money.¡±

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