A lot of large car companies were leading that charge to protect their existing business. The arrogance of the incumbents thinking the market would wit around for them.
Electric cars with the current technologies are still rubbish.
The major difference is that China is heavily subsidizing the EV production while amassing more and more debts, on top of the massive debts this country is already having.
If more countries are placing tariffs on Chinese EV because...
Nissan forced to merge with Honda? Chucked away the lead with the Leaf.
#VW ????
LEGACY car makers made bad business calls trying to spin out the ICE car business model too long.
Hybrids are a dead end.
The price of EVs in China is lower than ICE cars.
Battery cost curves falling....
Tariffs???
All good points. VW look particularly silly assuming that EV would fade away and the mid priced saloon would last forever. I know Nissan and Honda are looking at a merger but perhaps it's too late now. KIA/Hyundai have a better chance of survival perhaps given they several good EV models
I fear the US is locked in the same mindset of the current German car industry and the 1920s UK rail industry. Why change, this works for us (until it doesn't)? The incoming administration doesn't appear to understand that locking oneself into obsolete tech rarely ends well.
It will have to be something both carbon neutral while also not introducing any new dependencies of its own. That inevitably leads to some kind of fuel, either hydrogen, synfuel/e-fuels, ammonia, or something similar.
It is incredible how far behind we are. Not just compared with China, but compared to where technology could be now if we’d started properly 30-40 years ago. We already knew enough, then. I was having conversations about electric cars in the mid 1990s.
I work in China a fair bit, and BYDs have pretty well been the default car any time I order a DiDi for a few years now - and I have to say, they seem great. Well built (unlike a Tesla, nothing feels like it will fall off in your hand,) comfortable... Seeing more & more in rest of Asia as well now.
That's difficult to answer. I personally think of staubability as a topic with multiple, numerous variables, not just a simple yes/no label. Thus, I like EVs for their lower carbon emissions and air pollution. But I understand criticism of mining and space/infrastructure requirements.
I'd be all for EVs if they were sustainable. Also, our access to mines isn't ideal. That said, 70% recyclable batteries is environmentally friendly. I've got mixed feelings, but these vehicles strike me as increasingly expensive to produce, not increasingly inexpensive.
Is it though? I read quite a bit and this is pretty much still THE question, right? Unless I've totally missed something. I'm not a fan of oil and gas either. But energy policy should be deliberate and certain.
I have had EVs since 2016. The idea of driving a gas fueled car is sickening to me. However, I use it as little as possible in favor of walking, biking, and transit when available.
In affluent part of Glasgow, population of about 10k. Lots of expensive new cars but e-car uptake is dismal, onstreet parking only, 2 council chargers in total, been that way for at least 3 years.
Infrastructure can hold anything back.
I have driven from London to Inverness with no problems.
But West scotland and Highlands are an EV desert issue beyond Glasgow.
Few chargers.
No big hubs
Slow chargers
On the Islands eg Uist it looks pretty poor.
BEVs are a fad that will die out because they are less practical than the cars they are trying to replace. What we're seeing in China is a command economy forcing massive overproduction of a good that few people really want.
An exact, move-for-move, replay of the takeover of the UK motorcycle industry by Japan, and also pretty close to their takeover of the UK car industry, too.
Me, I've had an EV for seven years now. Won't be going back to internal combustion for my main transport, ever.
I am 2 years into a Kia EV6.
Excellent.
QUIET.
Up to 300 miles summer
Min 200 on winter motorways.
Charge at home - no need for petrol stations.
The range fits my need for coffee breaks and the charge speed is such that coffee= charged on longer routes.
Loads of good charger apps.
Petrol is dead.
...that being said, I'm sure there will also be political and industry lobby barriers to the development of new battery technology. Maybe there already is.
I only hope that EV battery manufacturers will branch out to embrace new tech instead of compete with it.
Comments
The major difference is that China is heavily subsidizing the EV production while amassing more and more debts, on top of the massive debts this country is already having.
If more countries are placing tariffs on Chinese EV because...
In China, the % is forecat to reach 50% next year - ten years ahead of schedule.
As far as I can tell the uk has not had any manufacturing strategy for years.
Trump has a #mercantile strategy of tariffs & isolationism. This will fail to help the USA INOVATE.
Legacy car makers???
#VW ????
LEGACY car makers made bad business calls trying to spin out the ICE car business model too long.
Hybrids are a dead end.
The price of EVs in China is lower than ICE cars.
Battery cost curves falling....
Tariffs???
The Chinese are zooming ahead.
Can Samsung or Panasonic etc keep up?
Can the USA innovate again?
The smartphone blended a lot of imaging tech etc which Nokia missed.
New cars will be software-centric.
Batteries are headed to 600+ miles soon.
Western car makers tried to hold up prices too much.
They are over invested in old technology.
China did a long term plan.
tell me again how control of the economy by the state is a bad idea ?
well, of course you can find lots of examples, but I can find counter examples, right ?
The minerals in my EV battery lasts for 10 - 15 years. Then either it's recycled into new batteries or repurposed as static storage.
Just being able to recycle at all is a big step up.
I have driven from London to Inverness with no problems.
But West scotland and Highlands are an EV desert issue beyond Glasgow.
Few chargers.
No big hubs
Slow chargers
On the Islands eg Uist it looks pretty poor.
Me, I've had an EV for seven years now. Won't be going back to internal combustion for my main transport, ever.
Excellent.
QUIET.
Up to 300 miles summer
Min 200 on winter motorways.
Charge at home - no need for petrol stations.
The range fits my need for coffee breaks and the charge speed is such that coffee= charged on longer routes.
Loads of good charger apps.
Petrol is dead.
He made China look good.
Though that is strictly a relativistic thing.
I only hope that EV battery manufacturers will branch out to embrace new tech instead of compete with it.
Hydrogen isn't viable, and this most likely won't change before EVs take over.