Shanghai (ZXZC)- Guangzhou municipal government on March 20 carried a bill in a bid to introduce more practical policies to boost local auto consumption, which has been whittled down by the COVID-19 spread.

Policies to be implemented focus on providing a lift in NEV sales, encouraging a faster move on automobile replacement and upgrading, and creating a sound environment for vehicle spending. The concrete measures include offering subsidy on vehicle purchase, increasing license plate quota of taxis, and optimizing the policy on regulating car license plate quota.

The government estimated that those policies would generate a total output value of over RMB20 billion.

The construction of NEV supporting infrastructures, such as the charging facilities in open-air parking areas of government agencies and public institutes, public parking lots and industrial parks, will be promoted. Charging equipment operators will be encouraged to strengthen the building of NEV chargers at outdoors parking spots in established housing districts.

Moreover, the government will launch the trial projects on cascade utilization and recycling of decommissioned NEV batteries, and separate consumption of vehicles and batteries, in order to practically lower the cost on buying and using NEVs.

The authority will promote the forming of online platforms to streamline procedures before consumers getting their cars. For instance, it will popularize the online tax declaration at 4S shops by leveraging the mobile terminal and WeChat mini app, so as to enable the “one-stop” service for consumers to declare tax and apply for license plate.

In addition, automakers will be supported in using e-commerce platforms to offer consumers “contactless” services, such as receiving orders and maintenance appointments, handling car inspection and paying penalties for violating traffic rules on consumer's behalf.