These Haunting Photos Capture Life During Beijing’s “Red Alert” Smog Crisis

However, if the first red alert on air pollution represents an urgent call for everyone in Beijing to follow a greener lifestyle, local policy makers should not hesitate to explore every possible way, including financial, to better protect the most vulnerable groups. The subsidies by government would help them save around 100,000 yuan ($15,560) on a new electric model, which is also the reason that makes them think about buying electric cars.

The miasma came as President Xi Jinping attended a critical meeting on climate change in Paris, a potentially embarrassing coincidence that underscored China’s struggle to control the pollution that contributes to both its chronic smog and global warming.

Dong Yang, head of China’s automakers association, said on Thursday that sales of electric vehicles can not maintain their current strong growth, and he predicted that pace of growth will slow next year. Posters on social media for the e6 carry a promotion offering free pollution masks for anyone visiting one of Li’s dealerships. But they, too, know the importance of the serious official response to the emergency and realise that their children will be safer at home than while venturing out to go to school during a red alert. Some construction projects had to halt operations and public bus services were stopped.

But instead of an environmental wake-up call, prospective buyers are considering electric cars in Beijing out of a newfound practicality.

China’s capital will step up air quality monitoring, a senior city official said, after recent severe pollution prompted authorities to issue a first smog “red alert”.

This high increase in the sale of electric cars has put China on track to overtake the United States as the largest market for electric cars this year.

“The dedicated spirit and full support of the residents have deeply moved us”, said Beijing’s government in a notice posted online.

Wang Cheng is a business man in Beijing.

Regardless of the electric vehicle market’s potential, Peter Ford, The Christian Science Monitor’s Beijing correspondent, describes the blinding pollution as an immediate threat. “It’s rather pointless, if you ask me, because it doesn’t solve any real problems”.

China relies on coal for around 75 percent of its power and the electricity used to recharge the batteries of electric cars is also coal-generated.