Electrocatalytic acetylene semi-hydrogenation (EASH) provides a petroleum-independent strategy for ethylene production. However, the challenges of high overpotentials and strong hydrogen evolution competition reaction over conventional electrocatalysts at industrial current densities result in substantial energy consumption, limiting the practical application of EASH technology. Herein, zinc-doped copper catalysts are designed and prepared via a facile impregnation and electroreduction relay method. The as-prepared Cu-2.7Zn catalyst exhibits an ethylene partial current density of -0.29 A cm