1963:1 odds or 4-year wait for a car in Beijing

New electric car plate applicants in Beijing will have to wait for at least 4 years to get a license, according to a new memo released by Beijing's Transport Commission. 

As of April 8, 2018, there are 230,000 valid applications for electric cars. All 60,000 license plate quotas for this year, including those for private and government cars, have been allocated since February. 

A large-scale electric vehicle (EV) charging station at the Beijing West Railway Station. [File Photo: Xinhua]

Nearly 2.7 million applicants are currently in the pool for the petrol car plate lottery. The odds of winning a license plate are 1963:1. 

Beijing introduced the car plate lottery in 2011 in an attempt limit the number of vehicles on the road. To reduce air pollution, electric car licenses are currently awarded through queuing. However, they are now becoming difficult to obtain amid the rapid rise in the popularity of electric vehicles.