BYD Fang Cheng Bao Super 9 supercar is on display in Beijing. (Photo credit: VCG/VCG via Getty … [+]
The Beijing Motor Show opened last week for the first time since 2018, displaying the largest and most diverse selection of electric and hybrid vehicles on the planet. But the question for $64,000 is how many will make it to the United States?
So what stands out at the world’s largest and most cutting-edge car show?
As expected, among the approximately 1,500 car and parts manufacturers exhibiting this week, Chinese automakers are the ones with new models from BYD, BAIC, Changan, Chery, Denza, Dongfeng, Exeed, Fang Cheng Bao, GAC, GMW, and iCar. The combination made the show lively. , Lynk&Co, MG, Mona, Nio, Onvo, XPeng, Yangwang, Zeekr are just a few examples.
However, despite the recovery in domestic consumer confidence, the conclusion remains to be seen. As you can see from the abbreviated list above, there are too many Chinese car manufacturers. By some estimates, the total number of automakers is close to 100, with only about a dozen expected to remain when the situation finally subsides.
In an already crowded market, more manufacturers are copying the exteriors and interiors of rival European brands, and oversupply and falling demand are leading to price wars and imitations. And for many of these automakers, success in the U.S. market appears to be a make-or-break affair with big hurdles to clear. See below for more details.
Zeekr MIX electric car appears to take design cues from VW IDBuzz (Photo credit: Yi) … [+]
A perfect example of this imitation is the sleek BYD-owned Fang Cheng Bao Super 9 roadster, which looks like a cross between an Italdesign Aztec and an SLR McLaren Stirling Moss supercar. And while from the rear, the Yangwang U9’s rear end looks richly inspired by the Porsche 911 and Audi R8, the Zeekr Mix EV takes design cues from his VW favorite IDBuzz. I am borrowing it.
Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota, and Mazda also participated, but the show remained essentially a domestic-focused show debuting models that would only be sold domestically. If we look at the disconnect between a country that boasts the greatest number of automakers and one of the best car production and sales records in the world, and a market that leads the world in EV, battery, AI, and self-driving technology, the above-mentioned Despite the fact that it lacks all of that, “ is still available in the United States, in which case one can’t help but wonder about the existence of a strange parallel universe.
To put it bluntly, China, located on the western side of the Pacific Ocean, is an auto powerhouse that is fundamentally redefining the auto industry, while the United States, located on the eastern edge of the Pacific Ocean, remains a forbidden land for Chinese cars.
why? The biggest challenge for Chinese automakers selling in the United States is not price or sales tariffs. It’s the lack of dealer network. Simply put, Chinese automakers do not yet have domestic distribution channels. Geely-owned Volvo may have a small presence in the U.S., but essentially every other Chinese automaker faces the difficult task of building a sales network from scratch.
Although EVs in China are about $20,000 cheaper on average, they still won’t benefit from the Anti-Inflation Act of 2022, which allows automakers to take advantage of a $7,500 tax credit on locally produced products to lower prices. will also need to build a dealer network and assemble batteries and cars locally. .
What makes sense for the international auto industry is that the new solid-state energy pack, plug-in hybrid with 1,250 miles of range, and the 1,250-mile range that will be sold in the U.S., given that the Chinese models seen in Beijing rarely make it to the U.S. It is an EV. At the equivalent of $7,500, China has proven that it is possible to make affordable EVs. For the record, the lowest priced EV currently sold in the US is the Nissan Leaf, which starts at $29,255.
How Chinese cars will be received in the United States in the near future appears to depend on the outcome of the next presidential election, with Donald Trump already saying that if Chinese people make products in Mexico, it will be “We will impose a 100% tariff on.” Every car that crosses the line. ”
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