On the subject of eureka moments, I would say that I experienced one of my own when I went on a flying visit to automotive component and EV R&D and manufacturing facilities in Ningbo, Nanjing, Huia’an, and Huzhou in April last year.

My experiences on the trip taught me three important lessons. First, it showed me the seriousness with which China is working to build a world-class EV (Electric Vehicle) ecosystem spanning research and development, component manufacturing, vehicle assembly, and on-the-road deployment. This ecosystem covers smaller hinterland cities as well as the major metros and will be a major force for future economic growth as the EV market expands. China is already the largest manufacturer of EV cars and buses in the world, and its domestic market is dwarfs that of other countries such as the US. It’s inevitable that intense competition between its manufacturers will drive innovation and growth at a much greater speed and scale than in other markets. Continue reading Three lessons from a tour of the China EV ecosystem →