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Comment by ryuno_k | Hacker News Reader

And cheap quality.

The American market was swallowing the same hubris back in the 70s when Japan exports started flooding domestic soil. Then the narrative flipped from "cheap quality" to "affordable" and "reliable", eventually forcing Detroit onto its knees and into bankruptcy.

Yes, but American cars back then really were total junk. The Japanese imports were not only smaller and much more fuel-efficient, they performed better and lasted much longer and were more reliable.

These days, Chinese stuff still isn't really known for top quality, and Japanese cars haven't lost their quality edge, though you could argue they've fallen behind on adopting the latest technologies (electronic systems, and EV) because of their conservatism.

I've ridden in a BYD ev, and I assure you they are not cheap quality.

our companies are sclerosis compared to the energy in Asia

I really don’t get the purpose of a comment like this, who is this for? Have you ridden in a Chinese EV? They don’t “feel” cheap. This type of rhetoric is pretty much the reason other companies are lagging behind. After all, why compete with a “cheap” competitor? There may have been a time when quality of Chinese vehicles was questionable but I’m not sure that’s still the case.

If it weren’t for the protectionist tariffs the west has imposed on them, I would seriously consider a Chinese EV, maybe a Zeeker or Byd.

Even if a car doesn't "feel" cheap, that doesn't mean it's reliable. AFAIK, that's still a big unknown for the Chinese brands, and long-term reliability isn't something Chinese brands are known for.

Everything is made there but we don’t know how reliable their products are?

Their products are unreliable so we have to hit them with import tariffs?

They're probably similar reliability to "American" brands except they spy on you more atrociously.

It was the same in the past with Japan and South Korea. What they produced was considered cheap quality but they kept improving till it no longer was.

You made an account in 22 just to write this comment?

online marking bots are incredibly sophisticated and long reaching.

this was just one of the low effort, "chorus effect" ones. the real opinion movers will be with accounts that have a lot more traffic and look legitimate.

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