China is considering using green cars to transport competitors and spectators during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to the China Daily newspaper.

It is hoped that around 5,000 cars, 1,100 mini-buses and 2,000 passenger buses, powered by electricity, are to be used during the sporting event.

Sun Fengchun, an expert on electric vehicles and vice-president of the Beijing University of Technology predicts that the zero-emission vehicles will operate along the main routes to the Olympic Games Village, as well as from the village to the various competition venues and within the game village itself.

The scheme is part of a nationwide project to develop electric vehicles to help reduce China's high oil consumption and reduce air pollution.

The project has encouraged the development of numerous vehicles including those powered by a fuel cell, hybrids using both cleaner fuels and electricity and purely electric vehicles.

The drive towards implementing a viable fuel cell infrastructure has been the most prominent of China's clean air technologies.

General Motors chairman and chief executive, Rick Wagoner, recently highlighted the importance of research into alternative fuel development and energy sources in response to high oil prices during a visit to China.

GM and its main partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry have agreed to collaborate on a project related to hybrid and fuel cell vehicles.