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Friend or foe? Europe’s big Chinese EV dilemma

Friend or foe? Europe’s big Chinese EV dilemma

Bad news hasn’t been enough to get European car makers and politicians to rethink their anti-China strategy. But that’s exactly what might need to happen.

Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondent

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Greg Jackson, the founder and boss of Origin-backed energy retailer and tech platform Octopus, is one of Britain’s foremost techno-optimists. But even by his standards, he was sounding bullish this week. He’s just come back from what he called “the obligatory executive tour of China”.

On the trip, he learnt that China’s electric vehicle (EV) companies spend 7 to 11 per cent of their revenue on R&D. And he saw Chinese cities shedding smog and noise pollution as road traffic goes electric. “Forgive my language, but f--- me, right?” he told a room full of EV execs in London.

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Hans van Leeuwen
Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondentHans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/europe/europe-s-big-electric-vehicle-dilemma-20240911-p5k9tv