In a world shifting rapidly toward clean energy and advanced manufacturing, one truth stands out: the United States created the core technologies, but China now dominates the market. From electric vehicles to lithium-ion batteries and solar panels, these innovations were born on American soil—but are now mass-produced, exported, and led by Chinese firms. The headline reads loud and clear: US technologies China dominates, and the implications stretch from geopolitics to economic power.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are a powerful example. The concept isn’t new—America developed the first successful electric car back in the 1890s. At one point, one-third of U.S. vehicles were electric, especially in cities like New York where early charging solutions existed. But with the expansion of gasoline infrastructure and the rise of the Ford Model T, EVs faded from American roads by the 1930s.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and America had another chance to reclaim the future. General Motors released the EV1 in California, where state mandates encouraged electric adoption. But once the policy was repealed, GM scrapped the cars. Meanwhile, China saw its opportunity. Around 2010, Chinese leaders, knowing they couldn’t compete with U.S. dominance in internal combustion engines, bet heavily on electric.
With subsidies exceeding $230 billion, China created demand for EVs and scaled up production. Buyers received tax exemptions, license plate privileges, and direct rebates. Automakers were incentivized to build, not stall. The result? In 2023, China sold over 6 million EVs. The U.S. sold just 1.2 million. In this battle of US technologies China dominates, EVs are exhibit A.
Batteries tell a similar tale. In the 1970s, Exxon scientist M. Stanley Whittingham developed the first lithium-ion battery. John Goodenough and Akira Yoshino improved the model over time, powering a generation of laptops and smartphones. By the early 2000s, U.S. companies like A123 Systems received Department of Energy grants to pioneer battery technology for electric cars.
But the market didn’t follow. Without a domestic boom in EVs, American battery makers struggled. A123 went bankrupt, eventually bought out by a Chinese firm. China, meanwhile, built massive battery supply chains, cornering 94% of the lithium iron phosphate market and 85% of all battery cell manufacturing capacity globally. When it comes to lithium tech, US technologies China dominates isn’t just a headline—it’s reality.
Then there’s solar energy. In the 1950s, Bell Labs developed the first commercially viable solar cell. The U.S. led the field into the 1970s, even powering the White House with solar under President Jimmy Carter. But the 1980s brought deep cuts. President Ronald Reagan slashed renewable funding by 85%, effectively ending America’s solar momentum.
China moved in swiftly. Fueled by rising global demand and low labor costs, Chinese companies flooded the global market with affordable panels. Even after the 2008 financial crisis, when Europe halted its solar subsidies, China continued investing. It worked. Today, eight of the top ten solar manufacturers are Chinese. The country controls roughly 80% of the global solar supply chain.
Experts agree the common thread is consistency. China doesn’t just invent—though it’s now doing that too—it supports production, adoption, and export. “Technologies succeed when you combine innovation with a market,” says University of Wisconsin professor Greg Nemet. In America’s case, policymakers often promoted innovation without ensuring demand or protecting domestic manufacturing. The pattern is clear: US technologies China dominates because the U.S. invents but doesn’t sustain.
The Biden administration has tried to reverse course. The Inflation Reduction Act includes subsidies for EVs, battery plants, and clean manufacturing. But critics argue it may be too late to unseat China’s head start.
What’s at stake isn’t just economics. Control over these industries determines who leads the clean energy revolution, who dominates future trade flows, and who shapes the geopolitics of the 21st century. It’s not just that US technologies China dominates—it’s that this dominance is transforming global power itself.
