New-Energy Cars

The number of new-energy cars registered in China reached 7.84 million in 2021, up more than 59 percent year on year, according to data from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), released on January 11.

The figure represents 2.6 percent of total car ownership in the country, the ministry said, adding that the number of newly registered new-energy cars increased rapidly over the past five years.

A total of 2.99 million newenergy cars were sold last year, up 169.1 percent year on year, the China Passenger Car Association said.

Data from the MPS also showed that 36.74 million motor vehicles were registered nationwide last year, bringing the total ownership to 395 million, including 302 million cars.

The number of cities with more than 1 million registered cars had reached 79 by the end of last year, with Beijing, Chengdu and Chongqing having crossed the 5-million threshold, according to the ministry.

In the first 11 months of 2021, steel production reached 946 million tons, decreasing 2.6 percent year on year. The steel and iron industry’s combined profits surged 86.46 percent year on year to

351.7 billion yuan ($55.25 billion) during the period as rising costs and demand pushed up prices.

The industry has accelerated green and low-carbon transformation, with considerable reduction in energy consumption and sulfur dioxide emissions per ton of steel produced, the association said.

This year, as investment in the real estate sector is expected to slow down while infrastructure investment picks up, total steel demand is likely to remain flat from 2021, according to the association.