Science Friday Is the US backing out of the electric vehicle market?
11 snips
Apr 7, 2026 
Kyle Chan, a Brookings fellow who studies Chinese tech and industrial policy. He breaks down China’s push into EVs and batteries. He explains how industrial policy, manufacturing scale, and low prices let companies like BYD expand globally. He contrasts U.S. approaches and how policies shape who wins the clean-energy transition.
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Host's Car Hunt Revealed Few US EV Options
- Ira Flatow searched for a new EV and found few models available in the U.S. as many were discontinued.
- He contrasted that with BYD's global sales and noted BYD cars aren’t sold in the U.S. due to tariffs and regulations.
China Controls Most Of The Battery Supply Chain
- China dominates battery production and global EV supply chains, producing over 70% of the world's batteries.
- Chinese firms like CATL are expanding overseas with factories and BYD became the top global EV seller.
How China Jumpstarted EVs With Industrial Policy
- China uses industrial policy and local government support to accelerate industries like EVs and batteries.
- Local permits, land deals, factory subsidies and coordinated long-term planning helped scale manufacturing rapidly.