China has an increasingly important buffer against oil price shocks: electric taxis. Across Chinese cities, taxi usage and ridesharing are booming. In May, people took 3.05 billion trips, with government data showing trips have grown 6% since the Iran war began at the end of February, versus March to May last year. The jump reflects a quirk of China's transport structure: fares are falling despite gasoline prices rising. Analysts say a flood of new drivers searching for work in a sluggish economy combined with cheap electric cars is depressing fares, in turn attracting passengers who want to save on higher petrol costs.