The Ministry of Public Security said China will issue special license plates for new energy vehicles in the first half of 2018. Apart from the five existing pilot regions including Shanghai, ten more cities will carry out this program starting this November. The new plates will be green -- different from the standard blue ones. New registrants will be given a special license, and existing car owners can choose to convert their vehicle plates too. China has been encouraging the use of new energy vehicles by offering tax exemptions and discounts. New energy vehicles include battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell vehicles. Currently, there are more than one-million new energy vehicles in China.