Hefei has led the country in making electric vehicles and other tech products, but it still has not escaped a nationwide housing crisis.
Volkswagen is shifting more operations to China, tapping the country’s electric vehicle capacity and building factories.
China misjudged the rapid expansion of its electric vehicle sector, leaving a shortfall of skilled technicians as young people shun manufacturing careers.
Chinese electric vehicle companies like Nio are pulling ever further ahead, partly through government support but also rapid technological advances.
The intense competition among the country’s huge number of start-up carmakers has unsettled what had been a pillar of the economy in the last few years.
More electric cars will be sold in the country this year than in the rest of the world combined, as its domestic market accelerates ahead of the global competition.
By selling battery-powered S.U.V.s and luxury sedans in places like Germany and Norway, China is striving to become a force in the global auto industry.
Fueled with money from Wall Street and local officials, automakers plan to build eight million electric cars a year there, more than Europe and North America combined.