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!).
I think China bought into some of those brands when they were getting into making ICE. Then Li-Ion batteries came along and China was “hold my beer”.
Saudi is like China in that they are more interested in the industry than the company. Saudi is also doing other things with green energy too.
Sure, China would love to make and sell cars in USA but since the trade war I think they are OK with building factories in other countries like Mexico and just, you know, selling EVs to the whole world (except USA).
They say the car was designed in the UK but actually it was in Geely’s design studio not Lotus which is probably Just a front so they can say this.
Lotus engineered 0 of this car.
The profit of each Electric Lotus sold outside of the UK goes directly to Geely and they pay Lotus a licencing fee for using their name.
Absolute shit show, one of the reasons I left cause I see no future in the company.
It would make sense if the Western cars were still made locally employing hundreds of thousands of workers, 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.
The entire supply chain of legacy automakers and their tangled web of interconnected subcontractors employ millions in industrialized countries like the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea - they are a deeply important voting block that can easily doom the long-term prospects of political parties whose politicians remove tariffs and other mechanisms (leading to the collapse of their legacy automakers and suppliers).
The US is a great example, Joe Biden needs UAW support to win Michigan. Without Michigan and other auto union heavy states like Wisconsin - he’s not winning reelection.
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!).
I think China bought into some of those brands when they were getting into making ICE. Then Li-Ion batteries came along and China was “hold my beer”.
Saudi is like China in that they are more interested in the industry than the company. Saudi is also doing other things with green energy too.
Sure, China would love to make and sell cars in USA but since the trade war I think they are OK with building factories in other countries like Mexico and just, you know, selling EVs to the whole world (except USA).
Someday it may be Apple brand cars made in China. They could buy Lucid assets in bankruptcy.
The Lotus situation is really funny.
They say the car was designed in the UK but actually it was in Geely’s design studio not Lotus which is probably Just a front so they can say this. Lotus engineered 0 of this car.
The profit of each Electric Lotus sold outside of the UK goes directly to Geely and they pay Lotus a licencing fee for using their name.
Absolute shit show, one of the reasons I left cause I see no future in the company.
The entire supply chain of legacy automakers and their tangled web of interconnected subcontractors employ millions in industrialized countries like the US, Germany, Japan, South Korea - they are a deeply important voting block that can easily doom the long-term prospects of political parties whose politicians remove tariffs and other mechanisms (leading to the collapse of their legacy automakers and suppliers).
The US is a great example, Joe Biden needs UAW support to win Michigan. Without Michigan and other auto union heavy states like Wisconsin - he’s not winning reelection.