energy

China’s Antarctic Outpost Swaps Fossil Fuels for Hydrogen, Wind

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The renewable energy system ensures stable power in Antarctica’s extreme conditions, and is estimated to cut fossil fuel use by more than 100 tons annually.

He Qitong

The Big Switch

SPECIAL PROJECTS

China is producing EVs at an unprecedented scale, reshaping industries, economies, and daily life. Sixth Tone unpacks what’s working, what’s breaking down, and what’s next in a race that’s upending the global auto market.

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

Sixth Tone

The Missing Link in China’s EV Boom: Who Will Fix Them?

EVs now make up more than half of new car sales in China. But a shortage of skilled repair technicians threatens to slow the momentum.

Ding Rui

The Chinese City Betting Everything on Tiny Cars

In Liuzhou, compact EVs reshaped the city’s economy, daily life, and identity. Now, it offers a blueprint for small cities looking to ride China’s electric wave.

Fan Yiying

The Motor Cities Behind China’s EV Empire

China’s push to dominate the EV market starts in factory towns deep in the countryside, where assembly lines run day and night and life is tethered to nonstop production.

Jiang Xinyi

Wu Huiyuan 

The Foot Soldiers Steering China’s EV Ambitions Abroad

China exported more than a million EVs in 2024. But between a price war at home and trade tensions abroad, the industry’s future depends on a handful of expat sellers.

Li Xin

What Should China Do With Its Excess Renewables?

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

The rapid growth of the green energy sector has been a boon to the country’s economy. But as demand begins to slow down, policymakers need to find new markets.

Aditya Lolla

Eye on Climate Goals, China Names 15 Cities as New Energy Hubs

Over the next three years, the government aims to add more than 600,000 new energy vehicles across these pilot cities, which include Beijing, Shenzhen, and Chongqing.

Ye Zhanhang

Amid Climate Goals, China Zones in on AI’s Growing Energy Needs

In a list of scientific challenges for China in 2023, climate change and energy consumption emerge among focus areas.

Zhu Junxi

What’s Behind China’s Lithium Rush?

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

Bidding wars erupt as manufacturers target domestic lithium resources to reduce reliance on imports.

Hu Xiu

China Falls Back on Coal To Meet Summer Peak Demand

Experts say grid upgrades and demand-side management are needed to meet loads made greater by AC during extremely hot summer.

China Dialogue

After String of Gas Explosions, China Updates Safety Guidelines

In the first half of 2023, 294 gas explosion incidents led to 57 fatalities and 190 injuries, with over half attributed to liquefied petroleum gas.

Charging Your Electric Car is Becoming More Expensive in China 

The government has moved electricity supplied to public electric charging stations to a higher rate. Charging station operators are passing on the increased costs to consumers.

Amid Prolonged Drought, China’s Hydropower Hubs Turn to Coal

The situation has experts concerned over power supply and transmission during the upcoming summer, when demand is expected to surge exponentially.

This Summer, Shanghai to Pay Residents for Off-Peak Power Usage

The new scheme is aimed to achieve a maximum load reduction of 12,000 megawatts, involving more than 70,000 households.

Power Concerns Loom As Demand Hits Record High in Southern China

Experts warn that droughts may jeopardize hydropower plants, which account for a significant portion of the country’s power generation.

What Happens to China’s EV Market After Billions of Yuan Stop Coming in?

Government subsidies helped charge up the electric vehicle market. Now carmakers need to find other ways to maintain their sales.

The Paper

Five Solutions to China’s Energy Woes

Can China decarbonize without threatening grid stability? Five experts share their views on China’s energy dilemma.

Cai Yiwen

The Answer to China’s Energy Woes? Harnessing Virtual Power.

Virtual power plants are often seen as a potential solution to grid stability amid extreme weather. But they remain in a nascent and exploratory stage in China.