Auto execs in the US, Europe, and Japan never thought Chinese EVs were a threat. Now they’re coming to wipe the floor with their Western counterparts.

Auto execs in the US, Europe, and Japan never thought Chinese EVs were a threat. Now they’re coming to wipe the floor with their Western counterparts.

“You won’t believe what’s coming,” warned the title of a January 2023 video from the Inside China Auto YouTube channel. “Europe’s premium car makers aren’t ready for this,” warned another video from the same channel, uploaded in July.

Produced by Shanghai-based automotive journalist Mark Rainford, a former communications executive for Mercedes-Benz, the channel is one of several by China-based Western commentators agog at what they are seeing—and driving.

  • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    843·
    9 months ago

    Ppfffff hahaha that is ridiculous.

    Yes they made videos.

    No they have not successfully made an even decent electric car with any range yet in China.

    Geez way to spread unsubstantiated propaganda about a product from China with an abysmal track record so far.

    • zurohki@aussie.zoneEnglish
      251·
      9 months ago

      I mean… I own a BYD in Australia. It’s got 400 km range and it’s the cheap, low range model. With a 5 star safety rating.

      What was that you were saying about unsubstantiated propaganda?

      • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        327·
        9 months ago

        That I would like sources rather than unsubstantiated propaganda.

        Anecdotes are fun, though.

        Which byd do you have?

        • zurohki@aussie.zoneEnglish
          181·
          9 months ago

          An Atto 3. Is that relevant?

          You’re making a blanket statement that none of something exists, so a single example existing is actually a sufficient counterpoint. We’re not arguing numbers, we don’t need to establish statistical significance.

          • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            527·
            9 months ago

            Woo, bit defensive. Yea, who needs numbers anyway?

            I think if you’re sharing an anecdote about the car you own that you have not mentioned you are satisfied with but are presumably attempting to make some undefined point by mentioning, yes, the model is relevant.

            My initial comment(about the article) does not express that evs do not exist in China, it expresses that the article is incredibly and embarassingly overreaching in its effusive praise for completely unsubstantiated in-house marketing for theorized future products from one of the least reliable industries in China.

              • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                25·
                9 months ago

                Very convincing.

                Think I’ll just continue to be correct and you can dance along to the merry tune of everyone else who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

    • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
      9·
      9 months ago

      It looks like you think the Chinese cars are all like that car meme “Alibaba $2000 Chang li”

      The byd Atto 3 is comparable in build quality and in range to a Volkswagen id4 while costing 10k less

      • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        114·
        9 months ago

        Nope, i was talking about actual EVs, not the little farm trucks.

        That’s good to hear about the atto 3, first Chinese ev I’ve heard any firsthand consumer praise for. Do you have one yourself?

        Thanks.

        • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
          4·
          9 months ago

          I tried the Atto 3 and it’s really nice, luxurious. But there’s no way that I’m paying 40k for something that launched in my country one month ago

          • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
            24·
            9 months ago

            Yea, the newcomer status of these vehicles is a red flag for sure.

            It’ll be interesting to see these reviews with a few years of hindsight.

            What do you mean by luxurious with regard to the Atto3? I have not driven one yet, although I am heading to China again in January.

            • Moonrise2473@feddit.itEnglish
              2·
              9 months ago

              the driving seat was like a leather couch, with comfy armrests

              probably the european dealer chose the highest trim possible in order to justify the 40k price tag. I don’t know others, but for me paying 40k to be a beta tester… uhm…

              • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                22·
                9 months ago

                Yea, that’s tricky, especially from such a volatile industry in the first place with no historical certainty about the manufacturing or safety data that was provided before the EU did their own safety tests on the newer exported models.

                With that said, I have a leather-upholstered compact SUV right now and I do love that, so will definitely try the atto3 if it’s near where I’m staying when I visit, although a domestic product in China is often nothing like the exported product.

                I’d love it if the atto 3 was the first legitimate an independently ratified step into the internal ev industry, but I’ll take all of these new reviews with a grain of salt until they’re a few years in without major incident.