Shanghai has extended its policy of providing free license plates for purely electric vehicles for another year and relaxed the requirements for applicants.
Shanghai will continue to offer free license plates for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) registered in the city in 2025, extending a policy that expired today by one year.
A document posted today on the official website of the Shanghai municipal government announced the latest policy, which is valid until December 31, 2025.
At the same time, the city has slightly relaxed the requirements for those applying for free BEV license plates.
For applicants without a Shanghai hukou, they will need to have paid social insurance or personal income tax in Shanghai for 36 of the 48 months prior to the date of application.
For comparison, in 2024, such applicants need to have paid social insurance or personal income tax in Shanghai for 36 consecutive months. Any interruption would result in their disqualification.
In 2023, applicants need to have paid social insurance or individual income tax in Shanghai for a total of 12 months in the past 24 months.
For applicants with a Shanghai hukou, they are not subject to the social insurance or individual tax record requirements.
Shanghai has provided free license plates for NEVs, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), BEVs, and fuel cell vehicles, for many years.
Starting January 1, 2023, the city has not offered free license plates for PHEVs, including extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models.
Shanghai has adopted an auction system for license plates for conventional fuel vehicles, with successful bidders currently paying more than RMB 90,000 yuan ($12,330).
The eastern Chinese city is home to Nio's (NYSE: NIO) global headquarters and Tesla's (NASDAQ: TSLA) Chinese vehicle assembly plant, both of which currently produce only BEVs.
($1 = RMB 7.2994)
