As Chinese EV makers close, drivers of “smartphones on wheels” say software updates and maintenance are in jeopardy. https://restofworld.org/2024/ev-company-shutdowns-china/
So it's probably a good idea to buy from an EV company that is profitable. For example BYD has a gross profit margin of over 20%. That's approximately double the profitability of Western firms.
If we want more EVs in the US, we need more competitive offerings from Korea, Europe, Japan and US itself.
It helps that the initial product quality of Chinese cars from the big makers is better than American cars. Perhaps their long term quality is worse, but that's unknowable. People will judge by reports of the quality in the first year of ownership.
Chinese cars will also be helped by the use of purchased Western brands like MG and Volvo.
Compared to the same vehicle manufactured in the US, the general finishing and fitment is superior (based on people with access to vehicles made in both countries).
I have no complaints, was in better shape on delivery day than my previous Audi, which had been through “detailing” (a.k.a swirled to hell by an unskilled operator).
Outside of a few Chinese car companies are mostly small startups, here today gone tomorrow.
You don't get what you don't pay for. Scary that's even an option.
It's the mass that matters. Even smaller cars, and in particular EVs, are getting heavier even though they're not getting larger. The major contributor to this weight gain is, yep, safety systems.
> It's a vicious cycle driven entirely by gaps in CAFE standards and overcompensation for perceived personal flaws.
I don't think you're being entirely objective. 1/6 of all vehicle fatalities are actually pedestrians. 1/6 are motorcycles. 1/2 involve drugs or alcohol. 1/2 are single car accidents.
There's a lot of contributors to roadway fatalities, like people who get flung out of the vehicle. That still happens more than it should.
Looking at statistics for road death in Paris for part of 2024: - 9 on foot - 1 on bike - 8 on motorbike - 1 in a car
Edit: only dead driver I could find for Paris was fleing the police and end-up in a tree.
And even if you did, there are other drivers that can crash into you at much higher speeds.
It's a car that several billion people in urban cores will buy. Yeah it may be a glorified golf cart.
I also think a sodium ion 50 mile all electric phev has a ten year platform cycle in the US market while charging infrastructure and solid state / sulfur techs get developed.
The Chinese and other companies will probably partner with us market companies to get the cars in somehow, even with trump in office.
You get what you pay for. Cheap junk.
It matters is because in the former case, the unit cost advantage disappears as the problem gets solved. In the latter case, it does not.
https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/10/30/byd-atto-3-rec...
> Mercedes’ i5 received the best score from Euro NCAP for driver-assistance functions, and BYD’s ATTO 3 receiving the worst score