It was one of those turning points in the global economy which deserved more attention: Chinese passenger car exports exceeded Japan’s this past May, powered by the country’s rapidly-expanding electric vehicle sector.
It’s a marker of China’s increasing dominance in this emerging industry, and another sign of Japan’s struggles to make more headway, despite its early forays into alternative fuel vehicles. But secure is China’s EV dominance, how big a threat are its EVs to the likes of Toyota, and will a steady flow of EV exports trigger a regulatory backlash?
Julian Evans-Pritchard, our China Economics head, and Marcel Thieliant, who leads our Japan coverage, discuss the Chinese EV challenge and what it means for Japan’s auto industry in this special episode of The Weekly Briefing from Capital Economics. During their conversation, Julian and Marcel cut through the hype to address the key issues around the rise of China’s EV industry, including:
· How Beijing nurtured a globally-dominant EV industry;
· The growing risk of Western protectionism against Chinese EVs;
· How Japan’s car makers lost their lead in alternative fuel vehicles.
Click here to explore the analysis referenced in this episode.
What is The Weekly Briefing from Capital Economics?
Capital Economics, a world leading provider of macroeconomic insight, presents The Weekly Briefing – the show with all you need to know about what's happening in the global economy and markets. From the Fed's next decision to China's slowdown to moves in equities, bonds and FX, each week, our team of economists take apart the big economic and market stories and highlight the issues that investors should be paying more attention to.