The following article, written by Paweł Wargan for Progressive International, examines the neverending accusations by Western media and politicians regarding China’s putative ‘overcapacity’ in electric vehicles (EVs). Paweł explores the reasons for these accusations, and comprehensively refutes them. The article observes that China’s industrial utilisation rates and inventory levels are similar to those of the … Continue reading “Nothing like before” — China is out-competing the West on EVs
Even if they do, the west is just 13% of the world population. All they're going to accomplish is to isolate the west which will keep falling behind technologically while the rest of humanity moves on.
The tariffs are irrelevant *in the US since the DOT won't do safety testing on them, so they aren't road legal. I'm honestly not even sure what the point of slapping tariffs on them was other than signalling to automakers that they won't face any competition.
I saw a Zeekr 001 a couple months ago, probably the only one in the country. Not sure how they managed to get around the super strict import laws but where there's a will (and a shitload of 富二代 cash), there's a way.
There are reasons you might buy a vehicle that won't operate on public roads and therefore doesn't need tags, it makes it more expensive for those people (though, amusingly, still less expensive than just about every other EV still)
I was in the market for a car in the spring, around the time a lot of European officials were complaining about how super cheap Chinese EVs were taking over the European market and putting European manufacturers out of business because of heavy state subsidies or dumping or whatever "non free market" practices they felt like making up.
So I excitedly looked for a cheap but practical Chinese EV, only to find that, at least earlier this year, only luxury models were available. If I wanted a cheap EV it would be a heavily subsidized VW or a heavily subsidized Muskmobile.
I honestly feel that's a missed opportunity since dense European cities would be served extremely well by something like a Wuling Mini EV or BYD dolphin. Just a nice compact car for around town, easy to park, fits narrow streets, very affordable. I guess the idea is to enter the market in such a way as to enhance their reputation with luxury or premium models first, before introducing the VW Golfs of EVs.
I think personal car ownership in European cities is on the way out. It's unaffordable, annoying, and unnecessary, many young people don't even have a drivers license (in Germany it now costs three months pay at minimum wage to obtain a basic driving license). I managed even in a less dense (semi-urban?) area for nearly six years before there wasn't another option.
For car sharing small EVs definitely make sense. It is a missed opportunity in the way that there is a market which the European manufacturers haven't really taken hold of yet. EVs are still an upper middle class status symbol, even as European politics are pushing EVs as a big part of the solution to climate change. An EV for the people (like the original Volkswagen - the Nazi politics of that put aside) just isn't available here yet.
In another way it's a missed bullet as the electrical supply and grids as they are can't handle transportation energy demands, and charging at home (especially with high voltage) is probably only realistic for wealthy property owners.
What would be great is if the money spent on subsidizing car companies would be redistributed to rural public transportation and long overdue investments in existing rail. But instead we're hearing about how maybe it isn't possible to stop selling combustion powered cars by 2035 after all.
It helps that many European cities are not built around cars and have decent public transit. Where I am, if you don't have a car, you have to take 3 times as long to get anywhere, and if the transit system doesn't go there? Well hope you have 50 dollars for an uber. Shit sucks.
That's why they're putting 100% tarriffs or outright banning them.
The tarriffs won't stop them though, a $20k BYD EV still outclasses $40k american EVs.
Even if they do, the west is just 13% of the world population. All they're going to accomplish is to isolate the west which will keep falling behind technologically while the rest of humanity moves on.
The West: we can’t preemptively build infrastructure, the market needs to lead
Also the West: Let’s severely slow down adoption of these key technologies, that will show those mendacious Asiatics.
Meanwhile: EV infra continues to fall behind leading to even slower adoption, leading to weaker innovation
13% but owns 50%
1nvas10n is necessary
The tariffs are irrelevant *in the US since the DOT won't do safety testing on them, so they aren't road legal. I'm honestly not even sure what the point of slapping tariffs on them was other than signalling to automakers that they won't face any competition.
I saw a Zeekr 001 a couple months ago, probably the only one in the country. Not sure how they managed to get around the super strict import laws but where there's a will (and a shitload of 富二代 cash), there's a way.
There are reasons you might buy a vehicle that won't operate on public roads and therefore doesn't need tags, it makes it more expensive for those people (though, amusingly, still less expensive than just about every other EV still)
I was in the market for a car in the spring, around the time a lot of European officials were complaining about how super cheap Chinese EVs were taking over the European market and putting European manufacturers out of business because of heavy state subsidies or dumping or whatever "non free market" practices they felt like making up.
So I excitedly looked for a cheap but practical Chinese EV, only to find that, at least earlier this year, only luxury models were available. If I wanted a cheap EV it would be a heavily subsidized VW or a heavily subsidized Muskmobile.
I honestly feel that's a missed opportunity since dense European cities would be served extremely well by something like a Wuling Mini EV or BYD dolphin. Just a nice compact car for around town, easy to park, fits narrow streets, very affordable. I guess the idea is to enter the market in such a way as to enhance their reputation with luxury or premium models first, before introducing the VW Golfs of EVs.
I think personal car ownership in European cities is on the way out. It's unaffordable, annoying, and unnecessary, many young people don't even have a drivers license (in Germany it now costs three months pay at minimum wage to obtain a basic driving license). I managed even in a less dense (semi-urban?) area for nearly six years before there wasn't another option.
For car sharing small EVs definitely make sense. It is a missed opportunity in the way that there is a market which the European manufacturers haven't really taken hold of yet. EVs are still an upper middle class status symbol, even as European politics are pushing EVs as a big part of the solution to climate change. An EV for the people (like the original Volkswagen - the Nazi politics of that put aside) just isn't available here yet.
In another way it's a missed bullet as the electrical supply and grids as they are can't handle transportation energy demands, and charging at home (especially with high voltage) is probably only realistic for wealthy property owners.
What would be great is if the money spent on subsidizing car companies would be redistributed to rural public transportation and long overdue investments in existing rail. But instead we're hearing about how maybe it isn't possible to stop selling combustion powered cars by 2035 after all.
It helps that many European cities are not built around cars and have decent public transit. Where I am, if you don't have a car, you have to take 3 times as long to get anywhere, and if the transit system doesn't go there? Well hope you have 50 dollars for an uber. Shit sucks.