New-energy vehicle sales to slow

Growth in sales of new-energy vehicles in China may slow in the second half of 2016 after the government cut subsidies and reduced car-purchasing quotas in big cities, Nielsen said in a report published on Monday.

The report, the 2016 Chinese Automobile Consumers White Paper, was jointly released by Nielsen Holdings Ltd and the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

It predicts a bright future for gasoline-electric hybrid cars in the long term. Consumer demand for new-energy vehicles is shifting from one that is policy-driven to being driven by individual needs, and NEV owners are young, highly educated and middle class, the report said.