The Chinese government has once again omitted all electric car models equipped with South Korean-manufactured batteries from its list of vehicles eligible for subsidies. (Image: Yonhap)
BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Korea Bizwire) – The Chinese government has once again omitted all electric car models equipped with South Korean-manufactured batteries from its list of vehicles eligible for subsidies.
Last June, applications by Samsung SDI and LG Chemical for their products to be quality-tested were rejected by Chinese authorities. Both companies have continued to prepare for another opportunity but have so far been unsuccessful.
Last June, applications by Samsung SDI and LG Chemical for their products to be quality-tested were rejected by Chinese authorities. (Image: Yonhap)
Electric cars with South Korean batteries were dropped from the list starting December 29 of last year.
Some in the industry believe the omissions are motivated by the Chinese disagreement over the U.S. THAAD missile systems in South Korea. The relationship between the two countries is, however, on the mend, with recent reports from both sides declaring ties will be normalized.
Some in the industry believe the omissions are motivated by the Chinese disagreement over the U.S. THAAD missile systems in South Korea. (Image: Yonhap)
An industry veteran said, “The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China had already completed its evaluation process before the announcements, so I believe there was no time for the political arrangements to impact [the list]. Those of us in the industry will need to pay close attention to lists published in the future.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
