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How are those electric vehicles powered, by coal? Coal is the only cheap and viable short & medium term energy resource solution for China, and a substantial problem (though only not the only source) for causing the pollution currently around Beijing.

No, free energy machines, silly! :)

Coal can be burned fairly cleanly, but requires modern equipment not the likely Soviet designed plants they have.

I am sure cars contribute, but I believe the majority comes from factories outside of the city and from homes, which primarily burn coal to keep warm. Beijing is downwind from a lot of that.

> I am sure cars contribute

I doubt it. At the insane particulate levels they're discussing the air should be a lot cleaner coming out of the car than it was going in. Even if they don't have catalytic converters (anyone??) they've at least got _air filters_.

> Quick fix would be subsidised electric vehicles.

No, that would be an 8-lane highway straight into unintended consequences territory.