China’s electric cars: Temper high-voltage excitement

Overview

The manufacture of electric vehicles is emerging as a long-term development trend in China’s automotive industry, encouraged by the government as a means of helping energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Crucially, it is also viewed as a sector in which China can evolve an internationally competitive industry and leapfrog Western rivals. But amid the excitement which this has generated investors should bear in mind that developing cars powered solely by electricity is a...