China will waive a 10 percent purchase tax on electric cars as part of expanded measures to combat pollution and cut energy dependence. New-energy autos — China’s term for electric cars, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles — will be excluded from the levy from Sept. 1 to the end of 2017, according to a statement posted on the central government’s website yesterday, citing a State Council meeting led by Premier Li Keqiang . Electric carmaker BYD Co. (1211) climbed as much as 4.5 percent in Hong Kong trading. The tax break is China’s latest attempt to spur demand for electric vehicles, whose sales have lagged behind a government target, as state subsidies failed to overcome consumer concerns over price, convenience and reliability. China has identified EVs as a strategic industry that can help it gain global leadership, reduce energy dependence and cut emissions that have contributed to worsening air […]