It will be even better if the new fuel economy list can galvanize the consumers into joining forces with regulators to press carmakers to produce more energy-saving cars.

China's rapid economic development has seen it increasingly become a nation on wheels.

Latest statistics indicate that domestic sales of passenger vehicles soared by 40 per cent year-on-year to 3.04 million in the first 10 months of this year.

Cars currently guzzle more than three-fifths of China's total petrol output and one-fifth of its diesel output. As more and more Chinese families buy cars in coming years, it is estimated that the country's annual crude oil imports will grow to 190 million tons by 2010 from 123 million tons in 2004. Clearly, a higher fuel economy standard will be crucial to the country's preparedness for the growing demand of oil.

The average car fuel economy level in China today is still about 20 per cent higher than those in developed countries.

The Chinese Government has made it a top priority to cut the country's overall energy intensity by 20 per cent in five years beginning 2006. Further improvement of car fuel economy should definitely be part of the efforts to achieve that goal.

The car fuel economy list released by the NDRC can be used as a starting point to measure the mileage of how far carmakers have progressed in energy-saving.

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