Flash Points: Why is the West’s EV industry so far behind China’s?

The geopolitics of electric cars. SEPTEMBER 1, 2024  |  [VIEW IN BROWSER](  |  [SUBSCRIBE](     [Sponsored by ‘Foreign Agents’ by Casey Michel]( [New electric cars for sale are seen parked at a distribution center of the Changan automobile company in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality on March 24, 2024. ]( New electric cars for sale are seen parked at a distribution center of the Changan automobile company in southwestern China's Chongqing municipality on March 24, 2024. In Western markets, large SUV and pickup truck sales have hit new highs. “[I]f SUVs were a country, they would be the world’s fifth-largest emitter of CO2,” Patrick Schröder [wrote]( this week. “By comparison, electric vehicles (EVs) … still only account for roughly one-tenth of total passenger car sales in the United States.” Meanwhile, in China, sales have soared—and the country, which boasts the world’s largest EV market, exported its vehicles at unprecedented rates last year. How did China come to dominate the global market? Why has Tesla, a U.S. company, underperformed this year? And what do U.S. and European tariffs on Chinese EVs mean for the green transition? This edition of Flash Points seeks to answer these questions and more on the geopolitics of EVs.—Chloe Hadavas   [1]( [China's Global EV Domination Is Just Beginning]( [And the West isn’t ready for it.]( [By Howard W. French](   [2]( [If SUVs Were a Country]( [Western governments are not confronting the threat they pose.]( [By Patrick Schröder](   [3]( [Is Biden Deferring the Green Transition to Contain China?]( [Electric vehicle tariffs put geopolitics before climate change.]( [By Robert A. Manning](   Don't let your window to the world close. [Enjoy uninterrupted FP access.](   [4]( [The Fight Over China's Electric Cars Is Upside-Down]( [Why Europe’s car companies are against—and environmentalists are for—making Chinese EVs more expensive.]( [By Paul Hockenos](   [5]( [What’s Ailing Tesla?]( [More people are buying electric cars, just not from Elon Musk.]( [By Cameron Abadi, Adam Tooze]( Sponsored [A stunning investigation of the US’ foreign lobbying industry.]( In Foreign Agents, author and journalist Casey Michel shines a light on foreign lobbyists as some of them―after decades of installing dictators and corrupting American policy―embark on their next mission: to end America’s democratic experiment, once and for all. [Read more now!](   [Could Civil War Erupt?]( Barbara F. Walter has studied the genesis of civil wars around the world, and there are currently worrisome signs in the United States. What can citizens and institutions do to stave off violence? She joined FP Live this week to discuss. [WATCH ON-DEMAND](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [LinkedIn]( You’re receiving this email at {EMAIL} because you signed up for FP's Flash Points newsletter. [MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES]( | [VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? [Explore FP Solutions](. [Foreign Policy]( is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2024 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.