Can China Innovate in EVs?

Electric vehicles (EVs) are heralding a transformative future of decarbonized mobility, and China is leading the charge. Chinese automakers now produce nearly two-thirds of the world’s EVs and more than three-quarters of all EV batteries—and China is more than just the world’s factory floor. New domestic brands like Xiaomi are nearly matching Tesla in autonomy, range, and digital features. Chinese entities’ global share of patents in the field of electric propulsion increased from 2.4 percent in 2010 to 26.9 percent in 2020, and Chinese institutions today account for more than 65 percent of the high-impact research publications in electric batteries, substantially outpacing U.S. institutions’ approximately 12 percent.

Watch now for an expert briefing event on Capitol Hill where panelists discussed an ITIF report exploring Chinese EV innovation, the state of global competition in EVs, China’s aggressive support tactics, and what the United States needs to do to stay competitive.