Many U.S. car buyers still aren’t aware that the Chinese market surpassed North America in volume and importance fully a decade ago.
Similarly, in advanced automotive technology, a case can be made that China is more important than the U.S.
Nowhere is that more evident than in plug-in electric cars.
Through a combination of carrots (financial incentives, quicker registration, and other preferential treatment) and sticks (government mandates for sales and technology development), China is on track to be the world’s largest market for electric cars.
This is due to longstanding government goals of dominating global production of lithium-ion battery cells, photovoltaic solar panels, and plug-in vehicles.
Already, more battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are sold in China than in the U.S.—and for the second year running, last year Chinese maker BYD sold more vehicles with plugs than any other maker in the world (Tesla included).
More at GreenCar Report
