China's air quality continued to improve in the first half of 2026, according to a new review, with the average concentration of PM2.5 particles maintaining its downward trend. This improvement was largely attributed to the growing contribution of electric vehicles (EVs) in reducing transport-related emissions. In the first half of the year, EVs displaced an estimated 33.7 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in oil consumption, a 42% increase from a year earlier and nearly three times the level recorded in the first half of 2023. This reduction was roughly equivalent to 6% of China's crude oil imports in 2025 or about 22 days of imports at the previous year's average rate.