Out of Battery? China's EV Dreams Flicker

In the latest episode in our China Rules series, we look at the rise and potential fall of China’s electric vehicle (EV) industry. Once scoffed at by Elon Musk, China’s EV industry is charging ahead in international markets with its top car brand, BYD, selling more cars than Tesla in 2025. Massive government subsidies and consistent policy have brought China to a point where it now leads in a range of technologies, from batteries to robotaxis. Yet headwinds are emerging, with domestic demand tanking and protectionism surging in the US and Europe. To discuss the rise, and potential demise, of China’s EV behemoth, Louisa and Graeme are joined by Fengming Lu from the Australian National University and Yu Yang, Principal Lead Analyst of Automotives and Robotics at Yole Group, a company that analyses tech markets.

Image: DarthArt, iStock. Beijing, China - February 25, 2026: Modern small city car Wuling Hongguang Mini EV.

Transcripts available at https://ciw.anu.edu.au/podcasts/little-red-podcast

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