- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
Chinese technology companies are paving the way for a world that will be powered by electric motors rather than gas-guzzling engines. It is a decisively 21st-century approach not just to solve its own energy problems, but also to sell batteries and other electric products to everyone else. Canada is its newest buyer of EVs; in a rebuke of Mr. Trump, its prime minister, Mark Carney, lowered tariffs on the cars as part of a new trade deal.
Though Americans have been slow to embrace electric vehicles, Chinese households have learned to love them. In 2025, 54 percent of new cars sold in China were either battery-powered or plug-in hybrids. That is a big reason that the country’s oil consumption is on track to peak in 2027, according to forecasts from the International Energy Agency. And Chinese E.V makers are setting records — whether it’s BYD’s sales (besting Tesla by battery-powered vehicles sold for the first time last year) or Xiaomi’s speed (its cars are setting records at major racetracks like Nürburgring in Germany).
Europe just did a 180 on the commitment for no ICE cars to be sold from 2035 onwards under pressure of just a handful of big automakers.
And when I say Europe, I actually mean crooked European politicians rather than the public in general.
I personally know people who cheered for the extension of ICE cars to be sold, so it’s not only “crooked politicians”, this is an actual sentiment among people.
In my experience, how many people think like that really depends on the country of Europe: my own native Portugal is far more shit when it comes to Environmentalism in general - especially around cars as the country has a very 1980s mindset on them and a car is still seen as symbol of status - whilst for example The Netherlands is almost the the opposite.
Here in the US, the reasons people generally cheer for ICE vehicles boil down to how expensive EVs are here. Legacy manufacturers sell them only in premium trims and dealers tack on excessive profit to help discourage them - they truly are not affordable here.
They don’t seem to understand this is a choice by legacy manufacturers, combined with protectionism bought by those same manufacturers.
I suppose there’s a range concern but I don’t see how that has any validity. As people have more direct experience, that should mostly disappear. While there are never enough chargers, most of the population has high speed charging convenient to them and most homeowners can charge at home.