China Is Test-Driving the Future. The Rest of Us Are Still Arguing About Gas Stations.

China is living in the transportation future while the West is still arguing about gas stations. With nearly half of all new cars sold in China already electric, and China responsible for two-thirds of global EV volume, the world’s largest auto market has shifted decisively away from gasoline. The essay highlights that EVs are winning because they are simply better to own, charge, and drive, and questions why people with no financial stake still defend the hassles of gas stations. Drawing on your 2019 essay imagining a world where EVs came first, the piece argues that China’s real-time transformation is the clearest signal of where the global auto industry is headed, whether skeptics like it or not.