China Could Have 1 Billion Licensed Drivers in 10 Years

China has more than 280 million licensed drivers today, and that number is likely to reach 1 billion by about 2025, Bloomberg News reports, citing the China Assn. of Automobile Manufacturers.

Not all licensed drivers in China own a vehicle. But CAAM Deputy Secretary-General Shi Jianhua tells a conference in Beijing that the number of civilian-owned vehicles in the country will jump from 127 million last year to 200 million by 2020.

The state-backed group estimates China's existing transportation infrastructure can handle no more than 300 million vehicles.