In late April, 2021, President Joe Biden took a virtual tour of an electric bus manufacturer based in South Carolina. At the event, Biden stated that US manufacturers should be “the single most significant suppliers of electric buses and vehicles in the world.” But he admitted that “right now, we’re running way behind China.” How did China become a global leader in the electric vehicle (EV) market, and what has been the US response? In exploring these issues, this talk first briefly explores some of the Chinese government incentives that have spurred the rapid growth of EV sales in recent years. It then describes the range of electric vehicle manufacturers based in China, their ownership composition, and the balance between the public and private sectors in vehicle manufacturing. Finally, it discusses a major American player, Tesla, and the role a leading US company can play to help level the playing field of electric car sales within China’s own borders.

Speaker:

Eric Harwit is a Professor in the Asian Studies department at the University of Hawai‘i. He has M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in political science from UC Berkeley and a diploma in business Chinese studies from China’s University of International Business and Economics. He has lived in Beijing several years, and speaks fluent Chinese. He has published two single-authored books, and more than two dozen academic articles. His most recent book is China’s Telecommunications Revolution (Oxford University Press, 2008), and his current research focuses on China’s mobile social media. He has appeared on CNBC and been interviewed by the BBC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Time magazine and other national and international media.

Co-Sponsor:

UH Department of Asian Studies