China
Silenced economists + Hydrogen cars on China's roads
Dear reader,
The lockdown in Shanghai is coming to an end. But in many areas of daily life, Covid measures have even intensified social restrictions. This applies not least to public criticism of government decisions: Chinese economists have been systematically silenced in the past weeks. Any criticism about the economic consequences of the Covid measures remains undesirable, as our Beijing team reports. All those who still voice their opinions are to be "resolutely combated," as the Politburo declared last Friday. In the end, the whole world pays the bill for all the heads buried in the sand.
Since April, the car manufacturer Changan has been producing China's first mass-produced fuel cell car, the "C385". This could become a milestone for the hydrogen industry. The technology, which promises an even better environmental balance sheet than electric cars and even faster refueling, has so far been considered too inefficient to be used in ordinary passenger cars. In the West, many manufacturers like Daimler have already given up on it. The fact that Chinese automakers have never stopped experimenting with fuel cells is primarily due to the government's political will, writes Frank Sieren. Just as in e-mobility, China wants to set global standards – no matter the cost.
Your
Fabian Peltsch
