Balance of Power

US, EU Hand China Advantage in Global EV Race

The EU pulled back on an effective ban on combustion engines.

Electric vehicles on the assembly line at the BYD factory in Zhengzhou, China, on Nov. 5.Photographer: Bloomberg

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By Alan Crawford

December 18, 2025 at 10:59 AM UTC

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Visitors to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize celebrations last week couldn’t help but notice the absence of traffic din, with only the quiet hum of electric vehicles downtown. Private cars, taxis, even the ferries shuttling into port are mostly battery-powered.