Arctic Sector FLASH: Energy - Chinese PVs and EVs becoming increasingly relevant

Research evidence excerpt

Arctic Sector FLASH: Energy - Chinese PVs and EVs becoming increasingly relevant

Defining trends for energy market evolution

In short, both China's solar PV manufacturing run-rate and its electric vehicle production run-rateEnergy

illustrate two structural trends that are becoming increasingly relevant for global energy markets. Their

Energy | Sector Flash | 23 June 2026 | 08:41

influence on electricity demand, fuel consumption and long-term energy balances is likely to grow

further in the years ahead, particularly as geopolitical tensions and energy-security concerns continue

to shape policy priorities across governments, industries and consumers.

Chinese PVs and EVs becoming increasingly relevant

● Solar PV 11% of global electricity

● 0.8 mboepd potential displacement

● Defining trends for energy market evolution

Solar PV 11% of global electricity

Year-to-date growth in Chinese solar PV manufacturing output was down around 2% year-on-year,

suggesting that the industry may be entering a period of consolidation. Nevertheless, with output

reaching 66.2 GW in May 2026, Chinese manufacturers are still operating at an annualized run-rate of

roughly 780 GW(dc), continuing to support exceptionally strong growth in global solar capacity. Since

September 2018, cumulative Chinese PV cell production has exceeded 3.1 TW(dc). Assuming a 13%

capacity factor, this corresponds to approximately 3,500 TWh of annual electricity generation potential.

That is equivalent to around 11% of global electricity consumption, highlighting the growing importance

of Chinese solar manufacturing for global energy balances and long-term market developments.

0.8 mboepd potential displacement

Meanwhile, Chinese electric vehicle (NEV) production accelerated to 20% year-on-year growth in