Title: The electric vehicle landscape in China: between institutional and market forces

Authors: Bo Chen; Christophe Midler

Addresses: Management Research Center (i3-CRG), École polytechnique, Paris-Saclay University, Batiment Ensta, 828, Boulevard des Maréchaux, 91762 Palaiseau Cedex, France ' Management Research Center (i3-CRG), École polytechnique, Paris-Saclay University, Batiment Ensta, 828, Boulevard des Maréchaux, 91762 Palaiseau Cedex, France

Abstract: The electric vehicle market in China, both state-pushed and consumer-pulled, faces many challenges despite strong governmental support. On the one hand, both academic literature and official reports lack model-based sales data of passenger plug-in electric vehicles, a prerequisite to understanding dynamics between regulation, industry and market. On the other hand, a vast but unofficial micro electric vehicle market is fast growing in China's low tier cities. This research intends to provide the literature with a comprehensive yearly sales dataset by models of the Chinese passenger plug-in electric vehicle market from 2009 to the first quarter of 2015. We build a typology of the market by analysing product characteristics, usages and deployment territories and synthesise results in a unique landscape. Finally, our deeper understanding of electric mobility levers in China allows us to formulate industry and regulatory implications.

Keywords: China; institutional forces; policies; regulations; national strategy; low speed electric vehicles; micro electric vehicles; market sales data; market typology; 220V charging; low tier cities; suburbs; electric car sharing; deployment strategy; electric vehicle market; electric mobility.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2016.080784

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2016 Vol.16 No.3, pp.248 - 273

Received: 29 Dec 2015
Accepted: 05 May 2016
Published online: 07 Dec 2016 *

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