China Adjusts Its EV Strategy, Maintains Large Goals

China’s electric vehicle market is enigmatic. China has failed to achieve the stated environmental and efficiency goals it has set in recent years. But at the same time, the government appears entirely unfazed by the shortcomings, always ready to revise its course toward vehicle electrification—pushing back timelines and modifying technology protocols in order to achieve real and lasting progress with battery-powered vehicles. To date it has not realized its plans for success.

In early 2009 the Chinese government announced a program of aggressive incentives with the goal of quickly becoming the world capital for electric cars. China said it would raise the number of hybrid and electric vehicles from a couple thousand units sold in 2008 to 500,000 units in 2011.