CHINA’S EV SALES SURGE IN JULY

July’s sales in China of alternative-fuel vehicles, including hybrids, all-electrics, and hydrogen fuel-cell cars and trucks, jumped 164 percent year over year to 271,000 units, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers reported.
Those vehicles made up 10 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in China for the month, even though wholesale deliveries sank 12 percent in July, year over year, to 1.9 million units.
So-called “new energy vehicles” will make up 13 percent of all passenger vehicles sold in China this year, the association has predicted.
However, Tesla sold only 8,621 cars in China last month, 69 percent fewer than in June and 26 percent less than the same month a year ago.
The company has been battered recently by consumer complaints regarding quality problems and also by China’s toughened stance on tech companies, in Tesla’s case raising concerns that the cars’ onboard cameras compromise individuals’ privacy, the Financial Times reported.
In contrast, alternative-fuel vehicles made by Chinese firm BYD, backed by Warren Buffet, booked sales of 50,492 last month, tripling sales from July 2020.
Chinese makers Xpeng and Li Auto reported record year-on-year sales last month of 8,040 and 8,589 units, respectively.
TREND FORECAST: One advantage of a centralized economy is the ability to direct national resources toward one economic sector and away from another. China has emphasized EV production, putting more than 300 models in its showrooms in 2020. 
By 2030, China will lead the world in EV manufacture and exports.