Focus on Arts and Ecology

Chinese consumers are buying more “new energy vehicles” (most of them 100% battery powered) bucking a gloomy period for many carmakers. Total car sales in April dropped 12% year on year, while sales of new energy vehicles rose 60% to 360,000 cars; still a small share of the 1.98 million vehicles sold in all. Lack of consumer confidence will likely keep overall car sales lower in the first half of this year than last year but they may rebound in the latter half, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Some analysts had expected new energy vehicle sales to suffer after subsidies were decreased this year, but the market has matured and 2019 appears to be their breakout year. Quartz reports further on how China’s electric vehicle manufacturers are faring with lower subsidies.

Now, as electric car hit the road across China, the country faces a major infrastructure challenge. Check out chinadialogue’s recent article on scaling up charging points.