Chinese auto market takes over US
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"Natural demand will continue to expand in the next few years," said Lang Xuehong, chief auto industry analyst at Sinotrust.
Chinese automakers launched a record 221 new passenger vehicle models last year, with a majority of them upgraded models and less than half being new ones, according to the latest statistics from the CAAM.
Chinese automakers are expected to launch about 100 new models this year.
The brisk sales have also brought challenges to China's appeal for a green society.
However, a number of analysts said the sales may also speed up automakers' efforts to develop next-generation energy-efficient and emission-free vehicles.
Moreover, "the revised policy for this year, with tripled subsidies to encourage the replacement of outdated vehicles with high emissions and unstable driving performance, will contribute to an environmentally friendly society in which the automobile industry has a heavy responsibility," said Yale Zhang, director of the Greater China Vehicle Forecasts for US auto industry consultancy CSM Worldwide.
Still, Chinese cities may face worsening traffic as the car boom puts an increasing number of people behind the wheel, with a number of local governments already expressing concern about the rising number of cars.
Zhang Gong, director of Beijing's municipal commission of development, said the capital will enter the "automobile age" when every 100 families own 66.1 cars.
The capital is rated in a Sohu.com survey of more than 5,000 Web users as the most crowded Chinese city in November.
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