In Depth: Zero Covid Slams the Brakes on China’s Electric Car Industry

China’s electric vehicle (EV) sector has hit the skids.

After a year of blockbuster growth, the world’s largest EV market is being hobbled by measures to curb China’s worst Covid wave since early 2020. They’ve disrupted production and sales around the country, including in the major hubs of Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

Even outside the areas now facing tightened rules, the prospect of such measures being introduced if an outbreak does emerge and the dim economic outlook have made people reluctant to make big purchases, like a car.