External publications

Electric mobility and the quest for automobile industry upgrading in China

Altenburg, Tilman / Kaidong Feng / Qunhong Shen
External Publications (2017)

in: Tilman Altenburg / Claudia Assmann (eds.), Green industrial policy: concept, policies, country experiences, Geneva; Bonn: UN Environment; German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), 185-198

ISBN: 978-92-807-3685-4
Volltext/Document

Altenburg, Feng and Shen provide an overview of China’s policies to promote electric mobility with the dual aim of curbing urban air pollution and enhancing the competitiveness of its national automobile industry. That industry is strategic for China’s technological upgrading, but it has not been able to reach the productivity levels of its international competitors so far. The shift to electric powertrains is therefore seen as an opportunity to boost national competitiveness by leapfrogging into a new generation of technologies. The government’s comprehensive support package is unrivalled by any other country. Progress has been made in four areas of technology development: modern cars and buses, low-speed cars, two-wheelers and battery manufacturing.