Big incentives for car buyers to go green

The Chinese government is emphasizing quality and sustainable economic growth and China is eventually expected to become the world's largest market for green cars.

To encourage car buyers to opt for more energy efficient vehicles, both the central and local governments have unveiled a list of enticing incentives.

Shanghai resident Li Jie is tempted to buy an energy efficient car and has made numerous trips to this electronic vehicle shop. This time, he came to understand how the charging facilities for green vehicles work. The simple process of charging an electric car saves a lot of trouble. But the price of this car was also highly appealing and Li went for the deal.

Li Jie, Shanghai Car Buyer, said, "The car initially cost over 230,000 yuan, which is quite expensive. But after subsidies from the government and the dealership, it now only costs 130,000 yuan. The car I bought uses electricity instead of oil, which will save me a lot of money in the long run."

And the savings don't end there for Li Jie. For a regular car in Shanghai, obtaining a license plate usually requires the buyer to go through an auction process and costs at least 75,000 yuan or around $12,000. For a electronic car, the plate is almost free.

These incentives are an all around effort from the Chinese government's resolution of putting the country on a path towards sustainability. According to the State Council's plan for the green car industry, by 2015, total sales of electric and hybrid cars is expected to reach half a million in China.