China to buy electric cars for gov’t use

BEIJING — At least 30 percent of newly purchased government cars will be electric and other types of “new energy vehicles,” China’s official news agency reported Sunday, as the country attempts to tackle air pollution and encourage the electric car market.

A joint plan from five government ministries and departments calls for about a third of cars bought for state use from 2014 to 2016 to rely on clean energy, and the percentage will be raised year by year after that, the Xinhua News Agency said.

New energy vehicles include electric cars, plug-in hybrids, fuel-cell and solar-powered cars.

China is the world’s biggest auto market by number of vehicles sold.