BYD is coming for Europe—but high labor costs, connectivity issues, and stubbornly loyal customers might trip up the Warren Buffett-backed EV maker that’s leaving competitors in a ‘state of shock’
If you asked the typical European or American about BYD a couple of years ago, only the biggest petrol-head or an astute follower of Warren Buffett’s portfolio could have given you a confident answer on what the company does.
It’s taken a brutal price war with Elon Musk and an ascension to the top of the Chinese car pyramid to change that. Now that it’s left competitors in a “state of shock,” BYD has become hard to ignore.
However, as BYD fights a declining share price, Europe’s automakers have a few reasons to be optimistic that they will fare better in a battle on home soil.
https://fortune.com/europe/2024/01/28/byd-evs-europe-challenges/Open linkView original on lemmy.world
39 replies
Honestly, if they shake up the market and force the European manufacturers to produce cheaper EVs I'm all for it
They already shook up the industry. This is why auto makers are interested in making EVs after decades of telling people that they don't want EVs. China, the world's largest car market, is saturated with EVs. Now China is exporting to countries that don't have as many EVs as China.
It's very similar to what Toyota did decades ago. Create a good product and expand.
the market is, but the uptake is still ongoing. will be very interesting to see how their power distribution infrastructure adapts to the uptake.
In the UK BYD pricing the seal higher then the Tesla model 3 is a strange decision. Also the mg4 being cheaper then the dolphin doesn't help.
I hope they come to the Middle East, I'd love to have one
They will. Once battery supply is sorted out, EVs will be cheaper to buy than ICE cars.
In Saudi Arabia EVs are already cheaper to fill up. Just waiting for the cheap Chinese EVs.
How are the tariffs like? I don't know about Europe, but the US has a 25% tariff on Chinese vehicles and they're even considering raising that. Seems like it'd be a major stumbling block.
There's also the fact that when your country is renown for dirt cheap shit that maybe works, I don't know if I'd put my butt over a potential bomb.
China is known for cheap shit because of people cutting corners to make a quick buck (e.g. companies outsourcing to China and choosing the cheapest options to maximize profits). When it comes to vehicles, it doesn't work that way since you scare away customers if such an expensive item fails. China is capable of making high quality things and do all the time. Do you think Chinese phones are exploding all the time?
No, cause that would stop the spyware.
A car is basically a phone on wheels these days so I guess that means the car won't explode either and we're all good. All brands of phones and cars spy on you now, by the way, it's not restricted to one country.
Simp all you want, it won't change anything.
If countries weren't afraid of Chinese EVs eating into sales of domestic vehicles, they wouldn't be applying tariffs like the US's 25% tariff on Chinese vehicles, a tariff they plan on increasing, by the way: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-lawmakers-want-biden-hike-tariffs-chinese-made-vehicles-2023-11-08/
So what? I never said anything about them being afraid. OTOH, using low low prices to wedge themselves in the market and kill competition is their common tactic.
Never heard of it. Something to do with underwear?
"Build Your Dream"
Chinese EV manufacturer that is expanding into Europe.
Mmmmmm. That doesn’t sound healthy. CCP spy shit in every car shipped over. Great.
We already know that every car manufacturer collects data on us in newer vehicles especially. Data would go to China instead of western governments and unregulated companies. Honestly, not sure the usage is any different.
Except the CCP is less trustworthy than Trump.
But the CCP is farther away from your typical European than their own government and more local car companies.
I would rather someone with less direct influence over me have data on me if I had to choose.
But who is an authoritarian with expansionist tendencies, and who is content to be a helpful freedom-loving European ?
Eh VW spies on me in my Seat Leon, and my mom used to work with chinese master students, I am sure that both VW and the CCP have files on me.
VW peobably have quite a bit och recordings of me singing in my car...
May not fly in the EU. Their data protection laws have actual teeth.
LOL. You think the CCP gives a damn? They make up their own rules.
Well no, of course they don't. But this company's options will be a) don't do that in Euro autos or b) don't do business in the EU. Which do you think they'll pick?
Let’s meet back here in ten years and discuss what weird tracking implementation was discovered too late.
I've got news for you: unless you're driving a decade-old car, your car is already collecting tons of information on you and sending it to the company.
My car is a 2009 model. I doubt it’s sending anything to anyone.
Never going to get a newer car?
Who the fuck can afford that?
Well… I mean lots of people do but not me.
And ‘new’? I don’t think new straight-off-the-lot is very good value anyway due to depreciation. I’d much rather have a used car in good shape that’s had the bugs ironed out of it than play the shiny-shiny game. Fuck Veblen goods.
A hundred years can pass but a 2020 car is still newer than your current car. Chances are that the company that makes that car is still willing to collect data from the vehicle if they think they can make more money off of that data than it costs to keep it connected.
Never heard of microchips or telecom infrastructure eh?
Only the chips they pumped into me with the covid jab. (JK)
All modern cars are privacy nightmares. But putting spyware in their export cars world be a very dumb move by the Chinese because there's no way they wouldn't get caught.
Our family, out of economic practicality and a lack of desire to show off, still has ‘dumb’ cars with the fanciest feature being the electronic key fob and the damned engine management system which goes on the fritz every couple months.
I hear what you’re saying but I’m not entirely convinced they wouldn’t try something.
Bring Your own Donut... I think they sell coffee or something.
Now that would be much safer.