Chinese Electric Buses Are Making a Much Bigger Impact on Oil Demand Than All Those Teslas – Jalopnik
What happened: China is leading the way in environmentally friendly mass transit, with 300,000 electric buses in operation compared to the US’ 1,600. By the end of this year, electric buses will have cumulatively displaced three times more diesel demand than all the world’s passenger electric vehicles (EVs) combined. Although Tesla holds about 12% of the global EV market and is looking to make waves in China, the brand’s impact is far smaller than that of China’s massive army of electric buses.
Why it’s important: With China having taken up a leadership role in tackling climate change, it is making strides toward reducing carbon emissions on both a provincial and national scale. With EV technology becoming more efficient and affordable, electric-powered transit—both personal and public—is on the rise. Electric vehicles made up 7% of new vehicle sales in China last year, and internal combustion engine vehicle sales decreased by 20% between 2017 and 2018. Paired with world-leading developments in mass transit technology, China is poised to continue down the path of pollutant-free transportation.