A study finds that the expansion of China’s high-speed rail network promoted the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The analysis says consumers worried less about EV driving range because they could use high-speed rail for long-distance travel.

On Sept. 20 local time, Japanese IT outlet Gigazine reported that a research team involving the University of Pennsylvania and the Chinese University of Hong Kong released findings analysing the relationship between China’s high-speed rail network and EV sales. The study was published in August in the international academic journal Journal of Public Economics.

The researchers focused on complementary effects between high-speed rail and EVs. If people can use rail for long-distance trips, it becomes easier to choose EVs that typically have shorter driving ranges for everyday use. China’s high-speed rail network exceeded 45,000 km in total length as of 2023 and connected 96 percent of cities with populations of 500,000 or more.

The team analysed new and used vehicle registration data for 328 Chinese cities from 2010 to 2023. Using the fact that high-speed rail connections came at different times across cities, it compared EV sales trends before and after connections and controlled for other factors such as local economies and industrial policy.

The analysis estimates that EV market share in cities connected to high-speed rail rose by an average 1.22 percentage points. An initial gain of about 1 percentage point grew larger over time. The researchers estimated that high-speed rail expansion could explain up to one-third of the increase in China’s EV market share during the study period.

Consumer purchasing patterns also changed. EVs sold after high-speed rail connections tended to have shorter maximum driving ranges, and the average transaction price fell by about 6.37 percent. The researchers suggested that securing long-distance travel options may have eased range concerns. In cities where charging facilities were also expanded, the EV adoption effect was larger.

The results suggest that increasing EV adoption may be influenced not only by vehicle subsidies and charging stations but also by access to alternative transport such as rail. The study covers Chinese cities from 2010 to 2023, and separate verification is needed on whether the same effect appears in other countries.