Hot asian tail

Beijing's drive to clear the air spawns wave of electric car ventures. More than electric car ventures were chasing that distinction at last count, at the end of Nowhere is the buzz more apparent than in Beijing, where around 59, "new energy vehicles" were sold last year -- more than any other Chinese city. These cars are readily identifiable thanks to their green license plates. Regular gasoline cars still rule Beijing's roads, with more than 5 million owned. But the electric car market has far more growth potential, thanks to growing wealth as well as the government's war on smog.