China's EV Market Is Imploding (theatlantic.com) 207
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Atlantic: In China, you can buy a heavily discounted "used" electric car that has never, in fact, been used. Chinese automakers, desperate to meet their sales targets in a bitterly competitive market, sell cars to dealerships, which register them as "sold," even though no actual customer has bought them. Dealers, stuck with officially sold cars, then offload them as "used," often at low prices. The practice has become so prevalent that the Chinese Communist Party is trying to stop it. Its main newspaper, The People's Daily, complained earlier this year that this sales-inflating tactic "disrupts normal market order," and criticized companies for their "data worship."
This sign of serious problems in China's electric-vehicle industry may come as a surprise to many Americans. The Chinese electric car has become a symbol of the country's seemingly unstoppable rise on the world stage. Many observers point to their growing popularity as evidence that China is winning the race to dominate new technologies. But in China, these electric cars represent something entirely different: the profound threats that Beijing's meddling in markets poses to both China and the world.
Bloated by excessive investment, distorted by government intervention, and plagued by heavy losses, China's EV industry appears destined for a crash. EV companies are locked in a cutthroat struggle for survival. Wei Jianjun, the chairman of the Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, warned in May that China's car industry could tumble into a financial crisis; it "just hasn't erupted yet." To bypass government censorship of bad economic news, market analysts have opted for a seemingly anodyne term to describe the Chinese car industry's downward spiral: involution, which connotes falling in on oneself.
This sign of serious problems in China's electric-vehicle industry may come as a surprise to many Americans. The Chinese electric car has become a symbol of the country's seemingly unstoppable rise on the world stage. Many observers point to their growing popularity as evidence that China is winning the race to dominate new technologies. But in China, these electric cars represent something entirely different: the profound threats that Beijing's meddling in markets poses to both China and the world.
Bloated by excessive investment, distorted by government intervention, and plagued by heavy losses, China's EV industry appears destined for a crash. EV companies are locked in a cutthroat struggle for survival. Wei Jianjun, the chairman of the Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, warned in May that China's car industry could tumble into a financial crisis; it "just hasn't erupted yet." To bypass government censorship of bad economic news, market analysts have opted for a seemingly anodyne term to describe the Chinese car industry's downward spiral: involution, which connotes falling in on oneself.
Exported deflation (Score:5, Insightful)
It wonâ(TM)t take long for these cars to be exported. When it does, expect them to absolutely destroy the automotive markets of whatever country allows them in
Re:Exported deflation (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe. Here in North America, the big three have already conceded the budget market. None of them are interested in anything other than luxury cars. For the first time, the average car purchase in the US has hit $50k. Europe ceded the entire EV market years ago to China.
Canada is set to relax the Chinese EV ban and tariffs, which I'm in favor of (maybe set them to 50%). However the only Chinese EV manufacturer that will actually be allowed in is Tesla. Our market is just too small to for Chinese automakers to justify complying with our North American standards when the US will never ever allow them in. On the other hand if we allowed cars meeting European standards in, that would open the door to a ton of Chinese vehicles coming here.
Meanwhile the fetish with touch screens and always-on internet connections is a real hangup of mine for EVs. That and how every charging station wants you to use a crummy app, instead of just being like a gas station.
Re:Exported deflation (Score:5, Informative)
"Europe ceded the entire EV market years ago to China."
Factually incorrect. This would imply that all/most new EV cars on the roads in Europe are Chinese brands, which is simply not the case.
Re:Exported deflation (Score:5, Informative)
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
Middle-class European here.
Just wait a few years. I'm in the position that I simply can't affort a new car, prices well above $50k, so I'm stuck with whatever I can get on the 2nd hand market at 20k-ish. We're already seeing the Xpeng P7 here occasionally at 35k-ish ("used" but factually new). That's whay I'm eyeing with.
If most of middle class here is like me (and I can't imagine they're not, I'm simply too good at math to entertain any other illusion), and their internal combustion cars are aging just lil
Re: (Score:2)
Prices are far lower than that unless you insist on a car that is way too large for European streets, which is, unfortunately, fashionable nowadays.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
I don't care what you think is "fashionable" or adequate "for European streets". I was looking for cars suitable for my typical family life, and the smalles one thst fits the bill is Tesla's Model 3. Which cost around 60k-ish in a reasonable version, and os pretty much the cheapest.
No, I won't buy a Dacia Spring whoch isn't even large enough for me in the driver's sear and a case of beer in the trunk, let alone for a family holiday trip across the Alps.
Re: (Score:2)
you are lying, it is still fashion, you are just justifying to yourself some excused to buy a tesla!
for your requirements you still have EV sedan cars lower than the tesla value, both chinese and other countries, being the Hyundai Ioniq 6 the best example and still cheaper than the tesla.
if you open to hybrid, you get lot more deals with lower price and hybrid-plugin is still cheaper:
https://www.caranddriver.com/r... [caranddriver.com]
but yes, a car for the family to travel far with luggage isn't much in the scope of EVs, th
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe lose some weight then? Because if you don't fit in one of these you must weigh about 200 kilos.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:5, Informative)
A Renault 5, Dacia Spring, e208, Inster, and literally dozens of other EVs are available for way, way less than $50k.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
A family of 3 or 4 cannot fit in a DACIA Spring .. like Fiat 500e.
Wow, just Wow!!! You can say same for any car in this class
And btw ... XPeng P7 costs 4x the price of a DACIA Spring .. just FYI.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
You can get a new one for 50k-ish in Europe, but large part of that price is horrendous tariffs. The actual price in China is a lot lower. You can get a "used" one (i.e. 2-3 months old, pretty much the scenario described in TFA) for 35k.
You can't get any other family electric car for 35k. And the ones you get for 50k don't compare to the p7, not by a large margin. If you want something that does compare, you need to reach for 6-figure cars, something like Tesla's Model S.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:5, Informative)
The Renault 5 BEV is entirely made in France including the batteries, and sold 24.990 €. The Dacia Spring, also produced by Renault in their Chinese factory, is sold 16.900 €. The Chinese makers do have a great opportunity, but I just wanted to make the point that EU-made BEV are not necessarily > 50 k€.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Also for those who want an ICE, Dacia Sandero made by Renault in Romania (and Morocco), is sold 12.490 €. It is currently the best selling vehicle in Europe right now, with about 400.000 sold per year and about 4% of the total market share. The second most sold is the Renault Clio, which starts at 21.450 €.
To highlight that middle-class Europeans find cars in the 20-30 k€ range.
Re: (Score:2)
I know Chinese cars are less expensive; what I argue is you can find European branded middle-class cars in the the 20-30 k€ range. The entire Dacia offer is below 30 k€ and that of course includes family cars; their Bigster is priced 25.900 €.
Re: (Score:2)
can you trust that Chinese car to drive from Romania to France? how many stops you will need to recharge?! are there enough chargers in the path?! too new to know, to many unknowns. They may even be good, Chinese quality is increasing, but is a too high value for most people to bet. My city car is 25 years old (not that much used to be replace by a EV), the family main car is 10 years (hybrid), both still good, low cost maintenance... will a Chinese car last that longer? at what maintenance price?!
for full
Re: (Score:2)
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
...starting at 52 kEuro base price. Case in point.
Re: (Score:2)
We're already seeing the Xpeng P7 here occasionally at 35k-ish ("used" but factually new). That's whay I'm eyeing with.
Be very, VERY careful here. I've heard credible reports that MANY of these "excess" cars from China are made with inferior quality control and materials - including the batteries themselves, which is the WORST place for cost-cutting - because the manufacturers know that the cars are probably going to end up rotting in vast fields with truly gob-smacking numbers of other cars.
I'm not against Chinese cars per se; but some of the EVs that were produced to scam the Chinese government out of subsidies are such b
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
So... you think European cars are kosher?
*cough*Dieselgate*cough*?
And let's not even talk that I've had the motor on my VW T5 replaced twice before its 200,000 km mark, for broken transmission chain. And large parts of its drivetrain once.
And that I've had the transmission chain on a 325 BMW replaced at 50,000 km. And then the motor replaced ar 65,000 km for problems with its connecting rod.
And that I'm essentially about to have to replace injection valves on two BMWs before their 200,000 mark.
And the only
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
Yep... Or I go ahead and buy a Chinese car?
But this is pretty much the point. See, I'm practically the definition of "middle class": in my 40s, owning the house I live in, academic education including PhD, decent job in a STEM field etc... So if a decent electric family car in the Model 3 or Model Y class is the "vanity" category for me, you can rest assured that it's pretty much the same for 99% of buyers here.
So there you have it. That's where your European automobile market is heading right now.
Re: (Score:2)
then why you are buying a EV for a big car even?! just to vanity say you own a EV!!
until range is higher, cost is lower, EV are VANITY cars
everyone is waiting for cheaper EV cars, brands insist in to the top class EV, mostly ignoring the lower and middle classes
Chinese are cheaper, but that is also dumping and random quality (and lifetime, most people buy a car for 5 to 10 years, will those last that longer?! how much service will cost? a car isn't a printer, most will can't buy another one if it breaks )
B
Re: (Score:3)
Dunno about the rest of Europe, but here Kia sells more EVs than the Chinese brands put together. Also Skoda Elroq (VW group) will likely be the best selling EV of this year.
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe. Here in North America, the big three have already conceded the budget market. None of them are interested in anything other than luxury cars. For the first time, the average car purchase in the US has hit $50k.
Forget 2026. The big three look like they’re still struggling to sell last year models off the lot. As every new car lot can attest.
Not sure what the big three conceded to sell in North America, but it ain’t cars at $50K+.
Re: (Score:2)
It's sad that touchscreens and mandatory internet are becoming standard even in ICE vehicles, but... THIS right here...
That and how every charging station wants you to use a crummy app, instead of just being like a gas station.
Now THIS is probably the biggest reason why EV sales are so slow here in the USA. I was genuinely shocked the first time I checked out a charging station and realized how complicated the procedure is. A gas station could never get away with that. The very culture behind anything "electric" or "high-tech" is just poison. If this doesn't change, I will never trade in my 11-year-old WRX fo
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
I could see a lowish range bev for a second car, as long as I can charge at home. If I can eventually get one cheaply enough.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Maybe. Here in North America, the big three have already conceded the budget market. None of them are interested in anything other than luxury cars. For the first time, the average car purchase in the US has hit $50k.
Citation needed. Your $50k figure is fine but that just shows an increasing price level, it doesn't mean the cars are any more luxury than they were before.
Here's one site that lists (among other things) quarterly sales figures by model. I don't see the top 50 being dominated by luxury cars, foreign or domestic.
https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/... [goodcarbadcar.net]
I wish they could filter that list to EVs only.
According to USNews the bestselling EVs do tend to be SUVs but not necessarily luxury. As is true of ICE vehicle sal
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
The US automotive market has long been protected by our government. It has warped not just the big three, but it makes importing light pickups impractical (chicken tax). The margins on an affordable compact car that can still pass safety tests are very thin now. The money is, as GM discovered half a century ago, in financing cars people cannot realistically afford.
Re: (Score:2)
It wonâ(TM)t take long for these cars to be exported.
Assuming they are exportable. Things designed for the domestic market can have safety, IP infringement, and other problems if one tries to export them.
Re: Exported deflation (Score:3)
While that's almost certainly true for the existing stock of vehicles, they have also overbuilt production capacity. So they could easily retool to deliver for another market while selling the existing inventory slowly to domestic buyers.
Re: (Score:2)
The US/EU are not the entire world, just the most profitable portion of it. As Belt & Road improves electrical infrastructure throughout the Third World those countries will be snapping up anything that comes in at a reasonable price point.
Re: (Score:3)
This was (is) a significant part of the reason for the Belt & Road initiative -to create foreign markets for Chinese goods. The other part was to create indebtedness of foreign governments to China -with all the advantages that come from having other nations owe you more than they can reasonably pay off.
It is a massive exercise of soft power. Well planned and executed.
Good for countries with no EV industry... (Score:2)
If country has no EV industry then this is a good thing...
Nothing is destroyed - just enjoying lower prices...
Re: (Score:2)
Not since Treasurer Joe Hockey gave the industry an ultimatum.
And yet a decade on, alternative-PM (at least in his own estimation) Andrew Hastie would have us return to the glory years of cars made locally.
Re: (Score:2)
because most of the PRC bottom tier model lack galvanic rust protection.
Is that really true?
Re: Exported deflation (Score:2)
It'll be more than the EV market affected (Score:2)
and the effects of that implosion will ripple across the world
Re: (Score:3)
Now all those houses have residents. Remember when the "train stations to nowhere" meant that the Chinese economy was definitely going to collapse? Now those stations are surrounded by businesses, industry and homes.
It's not the same kind of economy as we have, or the same kind of culture, and people somehow are unable to understand that.
Re: (Score:2)
>Now all those houses have residents.
Sorry, what?
New home prices in China fell by 0.22% in May 2025 across 70 major cities, the largest monthly decline in seven months, while existing home prices dropped 0.5%, the steepest fall in eight months. Year-on-year, residential sales by value dropped 6.1% and real estate investment plunged 12% in the same month. Lol, yeah, housing is going GREAT in China!
>It's not the same kind of economy as we have, or the same kind of culture, and people somehow are unable
Re: (Score:3)
its a command economy, and that has always proven to be shitty.
There have been four examples, USSR, China, Cuba, Vietnam. Vietnam and China are going gangbusters, tiny Cuba has managed to withstand six decades of constant economic attacks by the most powerful economy on the planet, and the USSR survived as a major force in the world longer than any country outside of Europe and North America. I'd say that your definition of "shitty" leaves a bit to be desired.
cool! (Score:4, Interesting)
In China they have an oversupply of vehicles
In the Us we have more demand than supply.
Should be easy to solve these problems. Except wait, no, we won't buy chinese cars because we want to prop up the richest dude in the world and the cars he's trying to sell us, despite the cars being outdated, 3-5x more expensive than the chinese cars, and built on a heap of lies - like full self driving supposed to be available in like 2016.
Re: (Score:2)
Never mind that their FSD is more capable than any current system on the market today. Unless you've ridden in a Tesla with FSD activated and witnessed the problems first-hand I'm not sure you are qualified to speak to how bad it is. The "8-bit guy" did a random off-his-normal-topic video recently about FSD and it was eye openingly good.
My issues with FSD have more to do with the fact you don't own the car really, and you are constantly beta testing it for them. But it's remarkable how well it does work.
I
Re: (Score:3)
make that comma.ai. sigh. No AI assisting me here tonight. Or spell checker apparently.
Re: (Score:2)
Full Self Driving, a mode where the vehicle is considered safe to drive without human interaction. There are lesser modes, that still require a driver to be at-the-ready, but think of it as the difference between "safe to text while in the car" and "safe to fall asleep while in the car".
Tesla has been promising the latter for a VERY long time, and they *have* made improvements over that time...but skeptics see it kind of like the paperless office - just beyond the horizon.
Re: cool! (Score:2)
Re: cool! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
The US also has an oversupply of EV (at least a certain type of EV). Musk had to make his other companies buy surplus cybertrucks [electrek.co] to make Telsa's bottom line look better. I guess Chinese and American carmakers aren't that different after all.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: There is no unmet demand in the US (Score:2)
China's EV prices are not sustainable. They were made possible by government funding and shell games, hence the impending implosion of the industry. It's not unlike their real estate bubble, it's just more threatening because this time they can export their overproduction.
Not to mention the reduced safety standards, both for production facilities and the vehicles themselves.
Re: (Score:2)
We figure out how to make good cheap cars maybe instead of importing chinese ones, but instead or biggest ev company has decided its actually a huminoid-robotics company and we stopped subsidizing EVs so we've clearly decided not to go down that path. Its like saying "I don't like bob down the street, who sells really good tomatoes. I could grow my own really good tomatoes, but I don't want to do that. Why can't I have good tomatoes???? WHY!!?! LIFE IS SOO CRUEL!"
Re: (Score:2)
If you can get batteries for both (which will eventually happen as production increases and prices come down), then you will make both luxury and cheap cars.
Re: cool! (Score:5, Informative)
People can't stand Musk now because he turned his focus to politics and became just another rich asshole believing the world exists to make him more money.
It seems being very wealthy and getting into politics normally ends poorly.
Re: (Score:2)
It seems being very wealthy and getting into politics normally ends poorly.
Depends on your definition of "poorly", seeing that Musk is the richest person in the world. Although almost certainly not the happiest.
Re: (Score:3)
"The left looooved Musk when they thought he was one of them."
no they didn't, and you don't even know what the left is. trump defines the left for you, and musk was loved by idiot tech bros
Wishful Thinking (Score:5, Interesting)
Can't assume these cars are exportable (Score:2)
If the reality is that China is producing more cars than they can sell, that does not lead to a crash. It leads to them exporting more cars. EV's are a growing market in the world that will eventually have a demand for all that production capacity.
You are assuming these cars are exportable. Things designed for the domestic market can have safety, IP infringement, and other problems if one tries to export them.
You will find these cars at Chinese run worksites around the globe. But that'll just be gov't policy, not some sort of actual demand at these sites.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Wishful Thinking (Score:4, Interesting)
Their property sector bubble popped in 2020: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
They haven't recovered and have been going full Baghdad Bob with their GDP numbers in an attempt to hide the problem: https://www.atlanticcouncil.or... [atlanticcouncil.org]
Re: (Score:2)
Lehman was a related, but separate problem from the housing bubble. It goes back to the Russian Ruble and Mexican Peso bailouts. The CEO wanted the same deal (privatized gains, socialized losses). Except this time he was a solo loser, not a group of banks with backing of the government. The CEO refused to change his demands, so the Federal Reserve had no choice but to let Lehman fail.
The housing bubble was popping with or without Lehman.
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. I would expect better from the Atlantic, but here we are.
This is part of the plan. China has built up a huge EV industry in 18 years, a vast, diverse, vibrant, and innovate ecosystem and supply chain.
Now it needs to be trimmed down. The government has said repeatedly that there are too many EV companies, and they want only the best to survive.
So there will be a market concentration. Mergers, acquisitions, and bankruptcies are to be expected. The result will be a stronger industry with better qualit
Re: (Score:3)
Not merely "one of". The preeminent EV producing region. Europe is doing OK, Korea is doing well, Japan is way behind, and the US is going into a mad tailspin. China is ahead and will stay that way.
Re: (Score:2)
Far from the death nail in the industry...
Understandable phrasing (like "nail in the coffin"), but I think you were going for "death knell".
Death knell - the tolling of a bell to mark someone's death.
Re: (Score:2)
This is absolutely spot on. It's a shitty take from the Atlantic on a story that has been around for at least five years: the aggressive competition of the Chinese EV market, which is going to see some company failures in the years ahead. As opposed to the American way of bail outs. The notion that there is falling demand for Chinese EVs is absolutely a little lullaby that complacent US rich guys like to sing to themselves, but it bears no resemblance to the truth.
Re: (Score:2)
I should have been more specific and said “bail outs for the auto industry”
Re: (Score:2)
Indeed, lack of production has been a limiting factor in their exports so far.
Also the practice of pre-registering cars is commonplace in Europe. The dealer buys the car from themselves, registers it to themselves, and sells it "second hand" to the customer with only delivery miles on the clock. My current car was supposed to be like that, but they just registered it to me so it was brand new, but for the pre-registered price.
Re: (Score:2)
Of course... (Score:5, Funny)
Of course, American car makers would never be subject to this kind of government intervention, investment or market distortion, nor car dealers playing with numbers or being dishonest. Clearly this is just a Communist Chinese thing.
Re:Of course... (Score:5, Interesting)
Of course, American car makers would never be subject to this kind of government intervention, investment or market distortion
In the US it primarily works the other way around, the automakers intervene in the government by having their lawyers write legislation and then paying congresscreeps to sponsor it. That's how we got the regulatory landscape we have with e.g. the chicken tax, and the differing standards for light trucks.
Government intervention in the USA is kind to the big 3 automakers and primarily fucks over consumers, like how California is now making owners of heavy diesel RVs get smog tests every year even though their contribution to emissions is barely measurable. It costs each owner $250 to get the test and another $35 or so in filing fees to accomplish... fuck all. Plus it creates an additional trip which starts with idling for at least fifteen minutes (or up to half an hour, depending on the ambient temperature) so the wet sleeved diesel engine can come up to temp before I set off. My neighbors must really enjoy that. Also then there's the fact that DPFs reduce soot but a) increase the production of PM2.5 soot and b) increase CO2 emissions. DEF+SCR good (except that the DEF injection systems are typically pathetically fragile) but DPF is bad but still mandated.
China gov't over-subsidized in (Score:2)
...order to induce R&D, but the side effect is a glut of cars and mass collapsing of brands. Chinese citizens got dicked by a tator, who treats them like guinea pigs.
Re: (Score:2)
Chinese citizens get cheap cars funded by government R&D money.
Who's been dicked here?
The car companies take government money and build cars
The car dealers buy them real cheap and sell at a profit
The consumers get cheap cars
The only ones "losing" money are the government. But they're just printing it. And building a massive manufacturing industry with development capability as well. Selling on a global market to everyone else at prices no one else can compete with.
Re: (Score:2)
Who's been dicked here?
The government. That's why they are complaining (according to the summary).
Re: (Score:2)
Exactly. This is inflationary policy, not deflationary. The depression in prices is just temporary.
But the US seem to really struggle to understand it.
Re: (Score:2)
The cars are cheap, but ironically still not cheap enough for Chinese workers. Xi would rather let the cars rot than more Chinese get a little more luxury.
Re: (Score:2)
And that isn't the only over-subsidized market in China.
Not over-subsidized- this is military capacity... (Score:2)
These factories are not over-subsidized.
These is prime industrial capacity for military drones production.
China currently has now probably more potential military drones capacity than rest of the world combined...
It's not going to crash (Score:2)
These people don't seem to understand that China is not capitalist.
The Government won't allow it. They'll fund failing companies, write off debts, what every they want to keep things going.
All of these companies have Government representatives on their boards. A large number are partially Government owned.
Re:It's not going to crash (Score:5, Interesting)
Are you fucking kidding?
Tell me this: which government has actually funded bailouts of car companies repeatedly over the past 40 years: the Chinese or the US? The Chinese government has been clear for years that it wants a thriving EV sector and that requires consolidation in the coming years.
The projection is just off the charts.
It is the *US* auto industry that has been propped up forever by the US government, including fighting literal wars to keep the gas flowing.
Re: (Score:2)
First, the US government has bailed out the US auto industry repeatedly:
1. 1979, Chrysler bailout, 1.5bn, plus looser credit and trade protections that benefited Ford in particular and helped it avoid formal insolvency
2. 2008/9, GM & Chrysler bailouts, 60bn+, plus regulatory flexibility, Fed credit facilities, and supplier rescue programs that benefited Ford in particular
3. 2020, credit and payroll support, 10s bns+, plus Fed corporate-bond purchasing programs, which kept credit markets open (Ford raise
Re: (Score:2)
Stupid fucking racism. I live in the UK, you idiot, because not every critic of the US government is automatically a member of the CCP, despite your fevered little defensive wank-fantasies to the contrary.
The worst part about you idiot racists, apart from the pusillanimity, is your unmatched lack of intellect, as evidenced by this post of yours.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Problem: too many manufacturers (Score:2)
I think the Chinese government needs to severely cull the number of EV manufacturers down to four at most: BYD, SAIC, Geely Group and Chery. And give them unlimited resources to make their EV's truly world-class vehicles that comply even with the US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
US dealers do it too (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
You're describing a completely different system.
Re: (Score:2)
When Chrysler went bust back in the 2000s I picked up a half price 300c here in europe that had been sitting in a dealership for a year and only had delivery miles on it. I kept that car for 15 years, best I've ever owned.
Re: (Score:2)
They do it to meet quotas to the manufacturer, so they get more car allocations the following year, and/or more allocations for exclusive models which can be sold over MSRP, or dealer requires the customer to buy a few "regular" cars before being given a chance to buy the exclusive one.
Yeah, and that's how Porsche is pissing off its brand loyalists. They think they're Ferrari. Which, btw, I will never understand how very wealthy people can have so little self-respect to be treated this way.
Military use of overcapacity (Score:2)
This overcapacity of EV factories can be easily repurposed into military drones factories.
Where does the money go? (Score:2)
So someone marks an expensive car as sold and then sells it as used. Didn't they make a loss then?
Too much government intervention (Score:2)
Electric vehicles are a great idea, and battery technology is catching up to market expectations. However, trying to force everyone into an electric vehicle earlier than they can afford or they want is a recipe for disaster. Put the money into technology research and stop trying to force the issue at the government level.
And Yet... (Score:2)
Imports are still controlled by big Petrol (Score:2)
This isn't strictly an American thing, it's everywhere.
Big Petrol don't want you to get an 10K$ EV, to them this is their No#1 enemy, they want to sell you petrol, their entire infrastructure is built around it, and they will fight to the very death over it, just like Old-media fought a losing battle to get people to stick to printed media. The always refused, time took it's course and they never recovered from it.
Same with EV's.
Yes, there's entire car lots (huge fields) of unsold EV's in China, there were
Same in the US Auto market (Score:2)
US auto manufacturers count a car as sold when it is delivered to a dealer.
Currently there is a glut of new cars and dealers are sending them to auctions as used.
The US economy is going down the tubes and taking autos with it.
Planned Economy (Score:2)
China is a planned economy, not a market economy. I read a report from an analyst of China that the CCP's plan was to pump up the EV market with dozens of manufacturers and then strategically collapse it, resulting in concentration of technologies in two or three manufacturers. This just looks like China following that plan to me. It's a matter of leveraging markets' tendency to over-produce, over-saturate, and follow boom & bust cycles to end up with a stable but varied market on the other end while ul
Marketing (Score:2)
In days of yore Wang computers got a monumental boost due to the company name. America needs a Wang (EV).
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What on earth are you talking about?
This dude always posts strange screeds in fixed width font with unusual punctuation. For you own sanity, I recommend not trying to understand him.