Clean-energy cars may be exempt from Beijing road rules  

(ECNS) -- A total of 200,000 clean-energy vehicles will hit the road in China's capital Beijing by 2017. Drivers of the cars will not be limited by the odd-even plate number rule even during heavy pollution, according to an official.

The information was released by Yan Aoshuang, director of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, during a TV interview on Tuesday.

Yan pointed out that among all the 200,000 clean-energy cars, more than 40,000 will be buses, taxis, postal vehicles, and sanitation trucks. The remaining 150,000 will be developed as private cars for Beijing residents, according to a preliminary plan.

"Authorities in the city are still working on a specific plan of distribution for the vehicles," said Yan.

Yan said that after the new energy cars are introduced, drivers of regular cars may not have to use their vehicles every other day during heavy pollution.

"Since clean-energy cars are environmentally-friendly, they don't emit pollutants," Yan added.

Beijing is regularly hit by extended bouts of choking, acrid smog, with heavy industries and car-use both among the key culprits. The city has adopted a four-tier color-alert system for air pollution. The red alert, the highest level, indicates serious air pollution for three consecutive days.

Beijing imposes an odd-even driving rule on days when the city issues a red alert for air pollution.

Under the scheme, cars with odd and even license plates will be banned from the city's roads on alternate days whenever serious air pollution persists for three consecutive days.