China Becomes World’s Biggest Electric Vehicle Exporter in 2021

China is quickly emerging as one of the largest electric vehicle (EV) markets in the world. The country is home to a number of new EV producers, whose sales are growing locally and internationally.

The report noted that the increase in sales was due to the growing popularity of EVs across Europe and Southeast Asia. Chinese automakers are emerging as a cost-competitive alternative to European and US-based EV producers, it added.

Comparatively, Germany exported about 230,000 units, while the U.S. saw a 30 percent decrease in exports to around 110,000 units. Japan recorded the lowest number of EV exports at just 27,400 units.

The report further highlighted that out of almost 500,000 units, about 100,000 were from Tesla’s Shanghai-based plant. The majority of exports were those of China-based EV makers such as BYD, SAIC Motors, Geely, and NIO.

These companies have relied on their relatively cheaply priced EVs to establish their presence in the international market. “In China, production costs are about 50% less than in other parts of the world due to more efficient procurement,” a Chinese EV parts company official told Nikkei.