Range anxiety—the fear that an electric vehicle won’t have enough battery power to reach its destination—remains one of the biggest obstacles to widespread EV adoption. A poll conducted last year by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about half of U.S. drivers cited this fear of being stranded on empty as a major reason for not purchasing an EV. But new research out of China suggests that the solution to easing these concerns might actually have more to do with trains than cars.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania recently analyzed China’s decade-long push for electric vehicle (EV) adoption and found that it coincided with the country’s expansion of high-speed rail. Regions with the fastest and most accessible rail networks also saw the highest increases in EV adoption. Overall, they note, high-speed rail boosted EV sales volume by an average of 91 percent. Unlike in the U.S., range anxiety is far less of a concern in China because most residents don’t rely on EVs for long or even medium-distance travel. Instead, they primarily use them for local commuting. The researchers conclude that this strategy of “complementary infrastructure” is more effective than EV subsidies or mandates alone. The findings are part of a working paper published last month on the Penn Institute for Economic Research.
Where trains go, EVs follow
Few countries have adopted EV as readily as China. As of the end of 2024, EVs accounted for 45 percent of new vehicle purchases in the country. That’s compared to just 25 percent and 11 percent for the European Union and US respectively. And while the Chinese government has played an active role in encouraging EVs through subsidies and other advantages for manufacturers, the same could be said of many governments elsewhere. In the US, Tesla alone has reportedly benefited from as much as $38 billion in government funding over the past two decades. Other countries like Norway and Britain have even laid out plans to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles altogether.
When researchers analyzed monthly vehicle registration data from 328 Chinese cities between 2010 and 2023, they noticed a recurring variable that kept popping up: the presence of newer high-speed rail. Over the past several decades, China has developed the world’s largest high-speed rail network. Today, it spans a combined 45,000 kilometers and connects 96 percent of Chinese cities with populations over 500,000. For perspective, the researchers note that China’s rail system alone accounts for roughly 70 percent of the world’s total high-speed rail.
The parallel development of high-speed rail and new EVs allows many Chinese residents to transition away from gas-powered cars without worrying about their vehicle’s ability to handle long journeys. This reduced need for extended-range EVs has also enabled Chinese automakers to focus on producing smaller, less battery-intensive vehicles. As a result, Chinese EVs tend to be more affordable than many of those found in other markets.
“If there are other ways to travel long distance—say you take one hour to go by high-speed rail—then you don’t worry about using your electric vehicle for that kind of travel,” lead researcher Hanming Fang said in a statement.
It’s worth noting though that this “complementary infrastructure,” might actually look more planned out in hindsight. Fang says the mutual benefit of EVs and HSR in China was more likely “a happy coincidence.” Still that doesn’t necessarily stop others from learning for that result and applying it themselves. In the US, for example, lawmakers have tried to address EV range anxiety by spending billions to build up a comprehensive, nation-wide EV charging network. It isn’t going great. Analyst estimates show the majority of US EV owners also have another gas powered car kept in case of longer journeys. That system of using two different cars is inherently limited to people in higher income brackets. It’s also potentially at odds with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by transitioning away from gas powered cars. More high-speed rail could help solve both of those issues.
America’s troubled relationship with trains
That goal, of course, is easier said than done. Lobbying groups representing car manufacturers and fossil fuel companies have long worked to slow efforts to expand rail. A deeply ingrained car culture also leaves some Americans less receptive to commuter trains than residents of other countries. The current U.S. president has also repeatedly criticized rail projects. But maybe most importantly, the researchers note, the U.S. lacks the ability to build infrastructure at the same speed as China due to its decentralized government structure.
Related: [US finally breaks ground on its first-ever high-speed rail]
And yet, some inroads are being made. In 2023, private rail company Brightland completed a 170-mile high speed rail line connecting Orlando to South Florida, a first of its kind for the state. Building is also already underway on a $12 billion train that may zoom travellers from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in under two hours by the end of the decade. Even Texas, which has a long, complicated history of failed rail projects, is reportedly making inroads on a train that could one day connect Houston and Dallas. If those efforts are successful, it’s possible more EVs might follow closely behind.
