One billion cars, and counting ...

1bn cars and counting - the global traffic jam just got worse | Jonathan Watts | Environment | guardian.co.uk:

I am starting this post snared in traffic on Beijing's third ring road, breathing exhaust fumes and taking it on faith that the sun is up there somewhere behind the smog.

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First, the number of cars on the planet has just passed the billion mark. Second, more than half of the new growth is in China. Third, Toyota managed to sell only one Prius in China last year. That's right. The world's most commercially successful hybrid car has found only one buyer in the fastest growing market. SUV sales, by contrast, are surging.