Could it also have anything to do with the fact that China’s economy is in a shambles and the property sector (where most Chinese wealth is locked in) is about to collapse?
Nah, Chinese EVs are still selling fine.
If a nearly 6% growth rate is a shambles then I’d love to see my country in shambles
This was going to happen with or without EV’s. The Chinese aren’t going to sit around and let foreign corporations run the show in any market.
Vw made the bed it now has to sleep in
Before Tesla experienced a significant price reduction in January 2023, I was considering the ID 4 and Bolt EV, but neither was available. After Tesla slashed the prices of Model 3 and Y by 20%, my focus shifted exclusively to getting Tesla, so I purchased model Y and now saving money for my future second Tesla.
If China transitions from coal to green energy they can a climate leader!
This trajectory better stop/change soon if we want to maintain western automotive manufacturing.
First trinkets, then tools and electronics, now the bigger things. Seeing Chinese manufacturers show up in heavy equipment as well. These are good paying jobs I don’t want to give away.
How good are these cars outside of China? Now that they are in Europe when will they come to the American market?
America will need to wait. Too much political risk for Chinese companies to invest there.
Maybe not directly, the closest we have is the Fisker Ocean, which is based on the Arcfox alpha-t, but assembled by Magna in Austria. So while there might be politics at play, we’re indirectly getting Chinese based EV tech.
Polestar 2 has been in the US for years.
They’re fantastic. The Japanese should be on notice since they seem to be ignoring electric. The US traditional domestics (Big 3) will need to step up their electric game. BYD, NIO, etc have it figured out.
BYD is currently the second largest EV company here in Australia despite just having 1 model. With the Dolphin launched 2 weeks ago, the Seal coming early 2024 along with a pickup and possibly another SUV, I won’t be surprised they take #1.
The MG4 also won our car of the year in Australia. The MG4 also won car of the year in the UK I believe.
5 years ago, 1 in 100 Australian drove a Chinese brand car. Today that is 1 in 10 Australian. If you include cars made in china, that becomes 1 in 5 Australian.
We’re seeing the same cycle repeat itself, the same is happening today with Chinese cars what happened with Japanese and Korean cars decades ago. Western makers with their gas guzzler land yachts resting on their laurels losing the battle against more efficient and better built Asian products, sending them into a panic where the only recourse they have is to beg the government to issue protectionist policies to prevent them from being swept away. It would make sense if the Western cars were still made locally, but in the globalised and heavily automated economy of today I don’t see governments finding it too worthwhile to kneecap their own energy transition just to protect a couple thousand jobs that can be retrained into other industries anyway.
I don’t see governments finding it too worthwhile to kneecap their own energy transition just to protect a couple thousand jobs that can be retrained into other industries anyway.
Happening in real time right now in the USA after decades and decades of blocking green energy and offshoring everything. Now, it’s all about blocking specifically China.
The workaround seems to be buying another brand American consumers are already somewhat familiar with, then sneaking cars here under that brand. Right now that’s limited to Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus, but there’s no reason MG couldn’t happen in the future (and frankly I hope it does, as the MG4 is sharp!).
It’s incredible how much it’s grown in 3 years, if it keeps going like that and VW and Toyota still have no attractive EVs to offer they’ll become small players in the Chinese market.
I worked in China but left right after the initial pandemic lockdown in June 2020, back then I barely saw any electric cars on the streets (lived in a big second tier city, not 100% sure on cities like Beijing and Shanghai). Mostly buses and taxis were electric, and only partially.
Now I go on Youtube and look at footage of China’s streets and it’s completely changed.
VW is actually already on the upswing again: https://carnewschina.com/2023/11/09/top-selling-car-brands-in-october-2023-in-china/