Total Number of Private Cars in China up 28% in 2008
27 February 2009
The total number of cars for civilian use in China rose 24.5% in 2008 from 2007 to 24.38 million, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Private-owned cars numbered 19.47 million, representing a 28.0% increase over 2007.
The total number of motor vehicles for civilian use reached 64.67 million (including 14.92 million tri-wheel motor vehicles and low-speed trucks) by the end of 2008, up 13.5%, of which private-owned vehicles numbered 41.73 million, up 18.1%.
Passenger traffic on all modes of transportation climbed 8.2% year-on-year to 23,372.2 million person-kilometers. Of that, highway passenger traffic increased 9.8% to 12,636.0 million person-kilometers, representing 54% of all passenger traffic. Rail passenger traffic increased 7.8% to 7,778.6 million person-kilometers, civil aviation passenger traffic increased 3.3% to 2,882.8 million person-kilometers, and waterway traffic dropped 3.8% to 74.8 million person-kilometers.
China’s GDP grew 9.0% year-on-year in 2008 to 30.067 trillion yuan (US$4.4 trillion), up by 9.0 percent over the previous year. That growth rate represented a sharp drop from the 2006 to 2007 growth of 13.0%.
Hold the phone!! Where's the "Global Depression Crisis??"
Posted by: Reel$$ | 27 February 2009 at 10:53 AM
I wonder what percentage of those were hybrids or BEV's.
Posted by: ejj | 27 February 2009 at 06:06 PM
They have just started giving out incentives to buy hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles and some manufacturers have even exported electric cars. Their comprehensive wind energy industry will be the biggest in the world. They will do to electric cars what they did to clothing and toys.
Posted by: Peace Hugger | 28 February 2009 at 01:40 AM
"They will do to electric cars what they did to clothing and toys."
You mean... cover 'em with lead paint?
Posted by: Reel$$ | 28 February 2009 at 02:53 AM
PeaceHugger: I couldn't agree more. While Detroit wallows around in a financial crisis (we'll just give them $20 billion every couple months 'til they work some stuff out, right?), and in forever fighting any efforts towards progress, China will first steal our technology, then develop their own, and will be selling us cars at WalMart prices within a decade.
The first three generations of Chinese cars may not be worth the paint that covers them, but if you don't think they're going to do what Japan did in the 70s, you've got your head in the sand.
Posted by: Nat Pearre | 01 March 2009 at 07:16 PM
@Nat:
No, China will not follow that path in the U.S. unless they radically improve their human rights activities. Which they resist at every step. Americans will learn not to buy products from totalitarian states like China - without dramatic changes in their political structure. That is doubtful considering their ruling minority party clings to power without the support of the people.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/for-media/press-releases/un-misses-opportunity-push-china-human-rights-20090209
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA17/005/2009/en
Posted by: sulleny | 02 March 2009 at 08:36 AM