As you report, the Chinese government wants half a million electric cars, trucks, and buses on Chinese roads by 2015 and five-million by 2020 (“Highly Charged,” July 2, 2011). “China has lots of people, not much oil, and rulers who love big projects,” you point out. “Foreign firms are salivating,” you add. Indeed. What you skip entirely is that the country also has a few hydroelectric power plants, as well as plenty of coal-fired ones. That is, most of the electric cars, trucks, and buses that are to appear on Chinese roads will be running on coal. In addition, China’s rulers do not give a damn about the associated pollution not only of the country, but the world as a whole. The foreign firms that are salivating over the prospects could not care less about the mess, either. That is the government’s business, anyhow. Besides, they are supposedly selling “clean” vehicles. That completes the future bliss pretty perfectly.