The Rise of China’s Electric Vehicle Industry
China’s remarkable ascendance in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, which poses a potential threat of igniting a trade conflict, has its roots in innovative research conducted decades ago in university laboratories across Texas. It was during this time that researchers made significant strides in developing batteries using minerals that were not only plentiful but also cost-effective.
In recent years, Chinese companies have capitalized on these foundational discoveries, mastering the art of engineering batteries that not only hold a substantial charge but can also withstand over a decade of daily use and recharging. This mastery has allowed them to manufacture vast quantities of these advanced batteries with remarkable efficiency and reliability, positioning China as a leading producer of the world’s electric vehicles and numerous other clean energy technologies.
Batteries are merely one illustration of how China is rapidly closing the gap—or even surpassing—advanced industrial democracies in terms of technological prowess and manufacturing capabilities. The country is making significant advancements across a wide array of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, drones, and high-efficiency solar panels.
China’s challenge to the technological supremacy that the United States has enjoyed since the end of World War II is evident not only in the nation’s educational institutions but also in corporate investments and directives issued from the highest echelons of the Communist Party. A noticeably larger proportion of Chinese students are pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) compared to their peers in other major countries. This trend is on the rise, coinciding with an exponential growth in overall higher education enrollment, which has surged more than tenfold since the year 2000.
Moreover, China’s investment in research and development has skyrocketed, tripling over the past decade and propelling the nation to second place globally, trailing only the United States. Recent analyses conducted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute indicate that researchers in China are at the forefront of global scientific output, leading the world in the publication of highly cited papers across 52 of the 64 critical technologies.
