Why China will beat U.S. in electric-car battle: urgency, regulations

2016 BYD Tang plug-in hybrid SUV, made in ChinaAs the electric-vehicle market matures and more global automakers commit to building battery-powered cars, one driving force has emerged to lead the pack. With apologies to the title of a comedy from half a century ago ... The Chinese Are Coming. That's the assertion made by old China hand Michael Dunne, of Dunne Consulting in Hong Kong, who makes...

All-electric Chinese cargo ship will be used to haul coal

China’s all-electric cargo ship will deliver coal to powerplants. China News/Peng YongguiA shipyard in China has built what it says is the world's first all-electric cargo ship, capable of hauling 2,000 metric tons of lading some 50 miles on a single charge. The ship, built and operated by CSSC Offshore & Marine Engineering (Group) Company Ltd under the China State Shipbuilding Corporation Group, may not have the gross tonnage or...

Tesla opens second huge China charging station for 50 electric cars

2014 Tesla Model S in ChinaIt's only fitting that the country making a monumental push for more electric vehicles is getting the world's biggest Tesla Supercharger stations. Tesla's website shows more than 150 Supercharger locations are now operating in China. But its two new locations in Shanghai and Beijing are the largest Supercharger sites in the world: Each is big...

Where will EVs have the highest market share in 2025? Poll results

2018 Nissan LeafHow, where, when, and to what degree electric cars will increase their share of the world's billion-plus vehicle fleet is a topic of much debate these days. Combined with autonomy, connectivity, and sharing, the growing electrification of personal vehicles is a major transition for carmakers old and new. Now, with governments increasingly focused...

Is China making U.S. irrelevant to the future of automobiles?

Buick Velite 5, for sale in China, at 2017 Shanghai auto show   [photo: Ronan Glon]The first automobile was invented in Germany in 1885 by Karl Benz, but it was the U.S. that led the building of the global 20th-century automobile industry. Through the turn of the current century, the U.S. new-vehicle market was the world's largest, and General Motors was for decades the world's largest car company. Neither of those is still the...

Chinese electric-car startup Nio gets $1 billion in funding: report

2018 Nio ES8Nio, the electric-car maker formerly known as NextEV, has raised a substantial amount of money in its latest round of fundraising. The Chinese startup reportedly received a stunning $1 billion in funding, with Chinese investment powerhouse Tencent leading the charge. Notably, Tencent also holds a stake in Silicon Valley automaker Tesla. DON'T...