With the mass market penetration of electric vehicles, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions associated with lithium-ion battery production has become a major concern. In this study, by establishing a life cycle assessment framework, GHG emissions from the production of lithium-ion batteries in China are estimated. The results show that for the three types of most commonly used lithium-ion batteries, the (LFP) battery, the (NMC) battery and the (LMO) battery, the GHG emissions from the production of a 28 kWh battery are 3061 kgCO₂-eq, 2912 kgCO₂-eq and 2705 kgCO₂-eq, respectively. This implies around a 30% increase in GHG emissions from vehicle production compared with conventional vehicles. The productions of cathode materials and wrought aluminum are the dominating contributors of GHG emissions, together accounting for around three quarters of total emissions. From the perspective of process energy use, around 40% of total emissions are associated with electricity use, for which the GHG emissions in China are over two times higher than the level in the United States. According to our analysis, it is recommended that great efforts are needed to reduce the GHG emissions from battery production in China, with improving the production of cathodes as the essential measure.

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) technology has significant implications on energy security and environmental protection. In the past decade, China has made great progress in the hydrogen and FCV industry considering both the government's policy issuances and enterprises’ production. However, there are still some technological and cost challenges obstructing the commercialization of FCVs. Herein, the status of China's hydrogen FCV industry is analyzed comprehensively from three perspectives: policy support, market application, and technology readiness level. The unique characteristics and key issues in each part of the industry chain are emphasized. Furthermore, the energy, environmental, and economic performances of FCV in the life‐cycle perspective are reviewed and summarized based on pre‐existing literature and reports. The life‐cycle analysis of hydrogen and FCV indicates that the energy and environmental impacts of FCVs are highly related to the sources of hydrogen. With the combination of industry status and technology performances, it is highlighted that technology advancements in hydrogen production and fuel cells and the optimization of the manufacturing processes for fuel cell systems are equally essential in the development of hydrogen FCVs.

To achieve their carbon peak and carbon neutrality target, China’s energy transition is seen as the most important instrument. Despite the rapid growth of renewable energy in China, there are still many challenges. Based on the review of the contemporary literature, this paper seeks to present an updated depiction of renewable energy in the Chinese context. The potential, status quo, and related policy of China’s renewable energy are thoroughly investigated. The challenges facing renewable energy development under the carbon neutrality target are analyzed, including enormous transition urgency and pressure, technology, and policy issues. Then, coping strategies are proposed to guide the direction of renewable energy development. Technology paths and policy recommendations are presented. This paper contributes to technology developing and policymaking by providing a comprehensive, thorough, and reliable review of renewable energy development in China.

The intelligent connected vehicle (ICV) concept represents the commanding heights of prospective automotive product shape and technology, which will pose significant impacts on the value-chain of future automotive industry, especially in China. The development of ICV will also provide the Chinese automotive industry with a strategic opportunity for transformation and upgrading. Currently, the government and enterprises have increased investment in the research and application of ICV. A detailed study in the development of ICV in the PRC can have theoretical implications for exploiting the future automotive value-chain. From the perspective of value-chains, this article analyses ICV’s significant impacts on the new industrial value-chain and its essential features, according to the latest practical cases in China. On this basis, suggestions of upgrading paths are proposed for different categories of Chinese enterprises from the dimensions of process, product and functional upgrading.

China has already committed to peaking carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 (referred to as the 30·60 Target), which has brought both daunting challenges and great opportunities to the automobile industry in China. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and in-depth studies on the challenges, paths, and strategies for reducing carbon emissions to fulfill the 30·60 Target in automobile industries. Therefore, this paper proposes low-carbon development strategies for China’s automobile industry. This study’s method is to integrate the results from different literature to summarize the status, challenges, opportunities, and refine the coping strategies for carbon emission of the automobile industry. The results indicated that the paths for achieving the 30·60 Target include joint carbon emission reduction by upstream and downstream enterprises inside the industry. It also needs cross-industry and cross-sector coordinated decarbonization outside the industry. Meanwhile, the low-carbon policy and regulation system should be established to provide a direct driving force and fundamental guarantee for the low-carbon development of China’s automobile industry.