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Subsidizing Fuel-Efficient Cars: Evidence from China's Automobile Industry

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  • Chia-Wen Chen
  • Wei-Min Hu
  • Christopher R. Knittel

Abstract

This paper examines the response of vehicle purchase behavior to China's largest national subsidy program for fuel-efficient vehicles during 2010 and 2011. Using variation from the program's eligibility cutoffs and the rollout of the subsidy program, the program is found to boost sales for subsidized vehicle models, but also to create a substitution effect within highly fuel-efficient vehicles. Estimates imply that ignoring the substitution effect would lead one to conclude that the program is welfare enhancing, whereas in fact the marginal cost of the program exceeds the marginal benefit by as much as 300 percent.

Suggested Citation

  • Chia-Wen Chen & Wei-Min Hu & Christopher R. Knittel, 2021. "Subsidizing Fuel-Efficient Cars: Evidence from China's Automobile Industry," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 152-184, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejpol:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:152-84
    DOI: 10.1257/pol.20170098
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Koichiro Ito & James M. Sallee, 2018. "The Economics of Attribute-Based Regulation: Theory and Evidence from Fuel Economy Standards," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 100(2), pages 319-336, May.
    2. Wei-Min Hu & Junji Xiao & Xiaolan Zhou, 2014. "Collusion or Competition? Interfirm Relationships in the Chinese Auto Industry," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 62(1), pages 1-40, March.
    3. Mark R. Jacobsen, 2013. "Fuel Economy and Safety: The Influences of Vehicle Class and Driver Behavior," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(3), pages 1-26, July.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Konishi, Yoshifumi & Kuroda, Sho, 2023. "Why is Japan’s carbon emissions from road transportation declining?," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    2. Peter Haan & Adrián Santonja & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2025. "Effectiveness and Heterogeneous Effects of Purchase Grants for Electric Vehicles," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 88(1), pages 185-223, January.
    3. Wu, Jingwen & Zhang, Tong & Liao, Hua, 2024. "Fuel economy standards: Regulatory loopholes and firms’ heterogeneous responses," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    4. Patrick Bigler & Doina Maria Radulescu, 2022. "Environmental, Redistributive and Revenue Effects of Policies Promoting Fuel Efficient and Electric Vehicles," CESifo Working Paper Series 9645, CESifo.
    5. Gøril L. Andreassen & Jo Thori Lind, 2024. "Climate, Technology and Value: Insights from the First Decade with Mass-Consumption of Electric Vehicles," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 87(7), pages 1783-1844, July.
    6. Rik L. Rozendaal & Herman R. J. Vollebergh, 2021. "Policy-Induced Innovation in Clean Technologies: Evidence from the Car Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 9422, CESifo.
    7. Peter Haan & Adrián Santonja & Aleksandar Zaklan, 2023. "Effectiveness and Heterogeneous Effects of Purchase Grants for Electric Vehicles," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 2032, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • H25 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Business Taxes and Subsidies
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L62 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - Automobiles; Other Transportation Equipment; Related Parts and Equipment
    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • P23 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Factor and Product Markets; Industry Studies; Population
    • P36 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Consumer Economics; Health; Education and Training; Welfare, Income, Wealth, and Poverty

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