A recent innovation is the use of the sodium-ion battery technology, which is lithium- and cobalt-free, less mining-dependent and has a lower theoretical manufacturing cost. BYD has announced to use sodium-ion batteries in future batches of the Seagull as one of the first three cars in its fleet to do so.
Oh well, there goes that big dream of generating a fortune massacring people for their lithium.
Imagine if your options when buying an EV were like 20 different massive SUVs that all cost house money, and then like 3 hatchbacks at $30,000, and then a $9000 hatchback that matches the $30,000 ones spec-for-spec. The $9000 hatchback is the only one produced at a profit to its manufacturer.
China could permanently dominate the US car market instantly if it was allowed to compete.
When you've got 1.4B people inside your borders, there is plenty of opportunity to compete. That said, there's still a certain prestige culture in China where people will import an enormous SUV at a 50% markup over what Americans are paying, just so they can look wealthy.
I've seen more than a few Chinese Born Americans who are totally bought in on the idea that a Lincoln Navigator is the cornerstone of the American Dream. Also, more than a few that consider getting a $30k for $9k the only sensible way to live. But there's tons of prestige porn even on the mainland that continues to erode the ethics and corrupt the ideology of folks living in the beating heart of Red China.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BYD_Seagull
Oh well, there goes that big dream of generating a fortune massacring people for their lithium.
Imagine if your options when buying an EV were like 20 different massive SUVs that all cost house money, and then like 3 hatchbacks at $30,000, and then a $9000 hatchback that matches the $30,000 ones spec-for-spec. The $9000 hatchback is the only one produced at a profit to its manufacturer.
China could permanently dominate the US car market instantly if it was allowed to compete.
When you've got 1.4B people inside your borders, there is plenty of opportunity to compete. That said, there's still a certain prestige culture in China where people will import an enormous SUV at a 50% markup over what Americans are paying, just so they can look wealthy.
I've seen more than a few Chinese Born Americans who are totally bought in on the idea that a Lincoln Navigator is the cornerstone of the American Dream. Also, more than a few that consider getting a $30k for $9k the only sensible way to live. But there's tons of prestige porn even on the mainland that continues to erode the ethics and corrupt the ideology of folks living in the beating heart of Red China.