By: Yunshi Wang, Daniel Sperling, and Alberto Ayala. China’s market for electric vehicles took off last year; sales grew fourfold from 19,713 in 2013 to 84,900 in 2014. China may leapfrog the U.S. this year to become the world’s largest plug-in electric vehicle market – largely due to a mix of new and strengthened policies. All of this is great for California. What happens in China is important to our state. For plug-in electric vehicles to succeed in California, they also need to succeed elsewhere – and China heads the list. What can California do to accelerate the PEV market in China? A lot. Chinese leaders have indicated a strong interest in learning from and working with California. UC Davis and the Chinese government’s Automotive Technology and Research Center have formed the China-U.S. Zero Emission Vehicle Policy Lab, in partnership with the California Air Resources Board and China’s National Development and Reform Commission.
Thank you for your interest in the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies. Subscribe today to keep up with the latest ITS news and happenings.