THE government said Friday it would offer tax breaks on purchases of electric cars predominantly made by Chinese automakers in its latest policy measure to boost green vehicles in the world’s biggest auto market amid rising concern over pollution.

    Last month, the Xinhua news agency reported that the government would stop levying sales taxes on approved models of green cars as of Sept. 1.

    The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology posted on its website Friday a list of 17 vehicles from 11 automakers, including one model each from the China joint ventures of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., General Motors Co. and Daimler AG.

    The moves come as China renews its push to popularize all-electric cars and heavily electrified so-called plug-in hybrid cars. The tax breaks aim to spur purchases of those electric cars in China, whose sales have already been subsidized by official purchase rebates.

    China last year renewed private-buyer subsidies for “new energy” or electric-powered vehicles for another three years, in part to fight air pollution.

    Under that program, the government now provides up to 60,000 yuan (US$9,767) for the purchase of an all-electric battery car and up to 35,000 yuan for a “near all-electric” plug-in vehicle.

    Last month, China also ordered government officials to use more electric and plug-in hybrid cars as part of its drive to cut pollution by putting 5 million such vehicles on the road by 2020.

    President Xi Jinping has been urging government agencies to buy domestic brands, key ones among them being BYD Co. Ltd. and SAIC Motor Corp.

    Major Chinese cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin this year opened their markets to electric carmakers based in other cities, as China moves to stamp out protectionist barriers within the country.(SD-Agencies)