China’s vehicle-plate systems in major cities can make registering a conventional car costly and uncertain. Blue plates are used for combustion-engine vehicles, while green plates identify new-energy vehicles, including battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The article contrasts those rules with Mexico, where it says obtaining plates costs about 2,000 pesos.
In Shanghai, conventional blue plates are auctioned online each month. Citing The Economist, the report puts the average winning price at 98,000 to 145,000 yuan, equivalent to roughly 270,000 to 400,000 Mexican pesos. Even bidders with the money face stiff competition: the reported success rate is about 4%.
Beijing instead allocates plates through a monthly or bimonthly lottery. Although the administrative fee is low, the chance of winning is reported at just 0.2%, leaving some applicants waiting for years. Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hangzhou combine lotteries with auctions. Beijing also limits when out-of-town vehicles may drive: cars with plates from elsewhere can circulate for only one week a month and are barred during peak hours.
The report says electric-car buyers can receive a green plate immediately and free of charge, making electrification an alternative to the cost and delay of obtaining a blue plate. It links the different treatment to China’s efforts to promote electric mobility.