​Shenzhen offers one-hour free parking to new energy vehicles

Source:ZDNET.COM By Cho Mu-Hyun | April 8, 2018

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The first hour of parking will be free for new energy vehicles in the city of Shenzhen, China, the municipal government says, in a bid to promote electric cars.

The transport commission for China's tech hub Shenzhen will offer free parking in the first hour for new energy vehicles on street parking spaces, local media has said.

Parking will be offered to new energy cars that are registered in Shenzhen and have received a fixed license plate number.

Pure electric cars, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell vehicles will get the benefit. The vehicles must also be those that are allowed to park on the roadside, such as micro-, small- and medium-sized passenger cars and light-duty trucks.

Users will need to register their license plate numbers to Shenzhen's parking payment app for use.

770,000 units of new energy vehicles were sold last year in China, the country's science and technology ministry says, and there were 1.6 million units in total operating as of late last year.

China is one of the biggest promoters of new energy vehicles in the world as a way to tackle environmental concerns. It is aiming to have 7 million electrics vehicles by 2025 and is offering tax incentives for buyers.

Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, is China's biggest tech hub where powerhouse firms such as DJI are based.