Volkswagen is on track for its smallest year of China sales since 2012, according to CNBC analysis of public data for the first three quarters of the year.
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!).
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.
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!).