China’s plans for the electrified, autonomous and shared future of the car

The vehicles on Beijing’s boulevards offer little evidence that China has a car industry at all. Range Rovers seem to outnumber all the Havals, Changans and byds put together; you sometimes see nothing but a stream of Volkswagens and Toyotas. And when you notice how slowly those congested streams flow you would certainly be hard put to imagine the country’s car industry expanding further. But the Chinese government has plans to prove you wrong on both points. China is set to whizz out of the automotive slow lane.

Chinese carmakers already make more cars than those of any other country. They also make more electric cars than anyone else, laying a claim to the industry’s future. Beyond that, China’s rulers, carmakers and tech firms also want to take advantage of the upheavals in how people get around beyond driving their own car—ride-hailing apps, autonomous vehicles, bike- and scooter-sharing schemes, smart public transport and more. A mediocre track record as carmakers need not be an obstacle in this. Indeed, it may be an advantage.