"A lot of Chinese people admire the car culture of the United States and take for granted that life behind the wheel will bring freedom and happiness. But they missed the fact the US is the largest energy-wasting country in the world. China would use nearly 4 billion metric tons of oil a year if we followed the energy consumption pattern of the US."

ZHOU DADI, an energy researcher, expressing concern that the number of private cars in China is estimated to exceed 100 million in the first quarter.