Local clusters and industrial policy: the new automotive geography of electric vehicle sector in China

Wei Zhao; Xieshu Wang; Joël Ruet

doi:10.1504/IJATM.2026.155605

Local clusters and industrial policy: the new automotive geography of electric vehicle sector in China

Wei Zhao
, Xieshu Wang
, Joël Ruet

South China University of Technology
CNRS, Centre d'Economie de Paris Nord

Résultats de recherche: Contribution à un journal › Article › Revue par des pairs

Résumé

The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) sector exhibits a pattern of spatial agglomeration reminiscent of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive industry. This paper explores the structural characteristics of the brownfield and greenfield EV clusters, and the role of both central and local industrial policies in shaping their dynamics. Taking the EV sector as composed mainly of three blocks of value chain, namely battery making, original equipment manufacturing (OEM), and intelligent and connected vehicles (ICV), we examine the 'specialising approach' of EV sector clustering in China, as well as the challenges of integrating the legacy of ICE clusters.

langue originale	Anglais
Pages (de - à)	161-184
Nombre de pages	24
journal	International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management
Volume	26
Numéro de publication	2
Les DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1504/IJATM.2026.155605
état	Publié - 1 janv. 2026

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title = "Local clusters and industrial policy: the new automotive geography of electric vehicle sector in China",

abstract = "The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) sector exhibits a pattern of spatial agglomeration reminiscent of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive industry. This paper explores the structural characteristics of the brownfield and greenfield EV clusters, and the role of both central and local industrial policies in shaping their dynamics. Taking the EV sector as composed mainly of three blocks of value chain, namely battery making, original equipment manufacturing (OEM), and intelligent and connected vehicles (ICV), we examine the 'specialising approach' of EV sector clustering in China, as well as the challenges of integrating the legacy of ICE clusters.",

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AU - Ruet, Joël

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N2 - The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) sector exhibits a pattern of spatial agglomeration reminiscent of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive industry. This paper explores the structural characteristics of the brownfield and greenfield EV clusters, and the role of both central and local industrial policies in shaping their dynamics. Taking the EV sector as composed mainly of three blocks of value chain, namely battery making, original equipment manufacturing (OEM), and intelligent and connected vehicles (ICV), we examine the 'specialising approach' of EV sector clustering in China, as well as the challenges of integrating the legacy of ICE clusters.

AB - The Chinese electric vehicle (EV) sector exhibits a pattern of spatial agglomeration reminiscent of the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive industry. This paper explores the structural characteristics of the brownfield and greenfield EV clusters, and the role of both central and local industrial policies in shaping their dynamics. Taking the EV sector as composed mainly of three blocks of value chain, namely battery making, original equipment manufacturing (OEM), and intelligent and connected vehicles (ICV), we examine the 'specialising approach' of EV sector clustering in China, as well as the challenges of integrating the legacy of ICE clusters.

KW - automotive industry

KW - brownfield

KW - China

KW - ecosystem

KW - electric vehicle

KW - geographic agglomeration

KW - government

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KW - industrial policy

KW - internal combustion engine

KW - local cluster

KW - regional cluster

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ER -

Local clusters and industrial policy: the new automotive geography of electric vehicle sector in China

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