China’s Jiangling Motors unit awarded electric car licence

China has awarded its seventh electric vehicle production license to a unit of Jiangling Motors, according to a posting by China’s state planner, as the country accelerates approvals for green car projects.

Jiangxi Jiangling Group New Energy Vehicle has permission to proceed with a project to make 50,000 pure electric cars, according to a notice dated Monday in a database administered by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The notice did not give further details. Government records separately show that Jiangling Motors is a shareholder.

China’s government has employed a raft of policies that spurred a boom in electric and plug-in hybrid cars since 2015. It aims to cut air pollution that frequently blankets urban areas and to push its car industry to leap-frog ahead of global automakers with long experience making internal combustion engine cars.

The country is accelerating approvals for electric vehicle-only projects under a special programme, having approved a license for Chinese auto parts supplier Wanxiang Group earlier this month, while officials say they will restrict new factories making traditional petrol cars.