High-Speed Rail and China's Electric Vehicle Adoption Miracle

Hanming Fang, Ming Li, Long Wang and Zoe Yang

No 33489, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: Using China's expansion of the high-speed rail system (HSR) as a quasi-natural experiment, we analyze the comprehensive vehicle registration data from 2010 to 2023 to estimate the causal impact of HSR connectivity on the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). Implementing several identification strategies, including staggered difference-in-differences (DID), Callaway and Sant'Anna (CS) DID, and two instrumental-variable approaches, we consistently find that, by alleviating range anxiety, the expansion of HSR can account for up to one third of the increase in EV market share and EV sales in China during our sample period, with effects particularly pronounced in cities served by faster HSR lines. The results remain robust when controlling for local industrial policies, charging infrastructure growth, supply-side factors, and economic development. We also find that HSR connectivity amplifies the effectiveness of charging infrastructure and consumer purchase subsidies in promoting EV adoption.

JEL-codes: L52 L53 O18 Q55 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-02
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ind, nep-tid and nep-tre
Note: DEV EEE PE
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