Booming car sales in China may bypass diesel

China’ s fast-developing auto market may skip diesel cars altogether and move directly to gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles, said Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing. Because Beijing limits sales of diesel fuel to trucks, Chinese consumers have never gotten used to the idea that diesel is more economical than gasoline, said Robertson. The proximity of the market to leading East Asian hybrid makers also suggests such an evolution, he said. BMW has made a goal of being the top luxury carmaker in China. Its sales in the country are running ahead of schedule, and the company, which had already raised its 2010 forecast from 100,000 vehicles to 120,000 vehicles, is certain to surpass even the higher estimate, Robertson said. (December 3, 2010)