China is the world's largest market for electric vehicles.
China leads both in electric-vehicle sales and in the number of electric vehicles on its roads. Its market includes battery-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, electric buses, and other commercial vehicles, depending on the statistics being used. Government incentives, manufacturing scale, dense urban populations, and strong domestic automakers have all helped accelerate adoption.
The modern Chinese EV industry grew rapidly after national policies supported battery research, charging infrastructure, and consumer purchases. Companies such as BYD, SAIC, Geely, and NIO helped turn electric vehicles from a niche product into a mass-market industry. China also produces a large share of the world's EV batteries and vehicles.
A common mix-up is confusing the largest market with the highest market share. Norway often leads in the percentage of new cars that are electric, but China leads in overall market size and sales volume. The United States and Germany are major markets, yet neither matches China's scale.