China may ease electric car quotas, delay emission rules to help automakers

Baojun E100 and E200 all-electric battery cars at a parking lot operated by General Motors Co and joint-venture partners in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, February 2019. — Reuters

BEIJING: China is considering temporarily easing quotas designed to boost production of electric cars to help automakers badly bruised by the coronavirus pandemic to revive slumping sales, people familiar with the matter said.

Policymakers in the world's biggest auto market may also delay the implementation of a new emission particle restriction by six months to help the car industry, which has suffered a 79% drop in sales in February and expects a fall of around 10% in the first half of this year.