Few countries have done more than China to push towards an electric future for the car industry. Beijing announced last month that it was looking at when to implement a ban on petrol and diesel cars, following announcements by France and Britain, which said they would ban traditional fuel vehicles by 2040, and Germany’s parliament, which has called for a ban by 2030.
Beijing also announced wide-ranging regulations forcing carmakers to start to meet steadily increasing production quotas for battery-powered cars, beginning in 2019.
Reactions to the announcement illustrate how China has managed to grow so quickly to become such a significant market for electric vehicles. China uniquely possesses the means to implement its will — it is the world’s largest car market, meaning it has unprecedented leverage over the global car industry, and also has a massive central planning mechanism.