June EV Sales in China Exceed U.S. Total Vehicle Sales

Who knew that when President Donald Trump said he wanted to “make America great again” he meant locking us into antiquated technology from the last century. Apparently, that is the case, as China and the rest of the world rush ahead with electric cars and clean energy and Trump doubles down on traditional cars and fossil fuels.  

We hit a milestone of sorts in this divergence last month as EV sales in China for June exceeded total U.S. car sales for the month. More than half the cars sold in China are now EVs. They are much cheaper than internal combustion cars and also cost less to drive and maintain. Charging is no longer a major issue as many cars have ranges of more than 300 miles and can be recharged in five or six minutes. 

And it is not just EVs where China has shot ahead of the U.S. in a clean energy transition. In the first four months of this year, China installed an amount of solar capacity that is almost equal to half of the U.S. total capacity at the end of 2024. It’s also shooting ahead in wind generation capacity. Renewable energy now accounts for almost two-thirds of China’s electricity generation capacity.

Clean energy is also cheap energy. The cost of solar energy in China is 8 to 9 cents per kilowatt hour and falling rapidly. The average cost in the United States is 13 cents per kilowatt hour. 

It is unfortunate that the United States is taking a back seat in the development of electric vehicles and clean energy and letting China lead the way. However, on the plus side, if we ever get a president who is not committed to accelerating global warming and the destruction of the planet, the technology will exist for a quick transition to a green economy. We will be able to both save money, and save ourselves and the planet from the pollution emitted by burning fossil fuels.