fuel cells are a long ways off. nickel metal hydride batteries are only useful where weight is a concern, like with electric vehicles. the good old ic engine cars all still use lead batteries. i'm not so sure those e-bikes are selling so well yet. but motorcycles are big sellers in developing countries and it is fashionable for rich people in countries like india and china to buy cars. i would think that china isn't building all those nice roads for bicycles--i expect more and more cars will be showing up in the coming years.
Limiting greenhouse gases in India and China
enn.com
By 2000, said Sperling's team, Delhi had about 2.6 million motor vehicles - 200 for every 1,000 inhabitants, a rate far higher than most cities with similar incomes.
Now inhabited by about 13 million people, Sperling's team estimates that the population will rise above 22 million by 2020. Motor vehicles, including cars, trucks, and motorized two- and three-wheelers, are expected to grow at an even faster rate. The domestic auto industry is predicting car sale increases of 10 percent per year, they say.
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Shanghai plans expansion of the new airport, construction of a deep water harbor, three new bridges and tunnel river crossings, completion of a 165 mile modern rapid transit rail system, expansion of suburban highways, and construction of 1,240 miles of new and upgraded urban roads.
India car sales defy gloomy predictions
news.bbc.co.uk
Tuesday, 4 September, 2001, 16:41 GMT 17:41 UK
Car sales in India are up 12% on the same period last year
Car sales in India rose 12% in April to August compared with the same period last year, new figures have shown.
Recent data on the Indian economy has mostly been gloomy. But the latest car sales figures are being viewed by some analysts as a sign that things are not all bad for the Indian economy. Car sales can be seen as an indicator of the confidence of consumers and these figures show consumers are confident enough to spend money, they say.
Luxury cars
Sales of luxury cars are doing relatively well in India, according to the latest figures. This suggests that the rich are getting richer and are therefore free to spend their money on such luxuries, the BBC's Sanjeev Srivastava told the BBC's World Business report. "It is very surprising the number of cars Mercedes has sold in the last year. It has never sold so many cars in India," he said. Hyundai's Accent model, the number two best selling car in the country, and Honda are also doing well, he said.
Rural economy
Sales of two-wheeler vehicles have also increased in the last quarter. These vehicles are particularly popular in India's rural communities. Bajaj two-wheelers are particularly sought after and, following sluggish sales figures for the past two years, have shown a jump of nearly 20% in sales.
Sanjeev Srivastava believes this strengthens suggestions that the decline of the rural economy might now have reached its limit. "There are signs of some cheer also because there has been good rainfall this year," he said. "If the monsoon does well then the farmers' incomes is likely to go up and maybe they are spending in advance," he added. |
