In China, It’s Already Cheaper to Buy EVs Than Gasoline Cars::undefined

  • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    20
    arrow-down
    14
    ·
    1 year ago

    China is subsidizing EV companies crazy hard. They brought musk in with Tesla to steal all his tech and train their workers to do it too. So bonus points for exploiting Elons hubris and ego. He was going to be first American company to be a leader in the Chinese market without them stealing all his tech. Crazy it didn’t work out.

    • cyd@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      39
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      The timeline doesn’t add up. Chinese EV makers, including BYD, were building crazy momentum long before Musk set up shop in Shanghai (which was in 2018). It’s only come to the attention of the outside world in the last couple of years when their EVs started to get exported at scale, but before they’ve been brewing this industry for a long time. BYD shipped its first compact EV domestically in 2009.

      • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        10
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Yes, because there’s no way 5 years is enough time to steal technology and manufacturing techniques and distribute them throughout an industry with a web of government industrial spies. They never do this type of thing so it would take 20 years. I’m sure BYD is making cars exactly like they were 5 years ago. Technology moves so slowly.

        Oh, a quick search shows of BYD cars shows me their cars up until around that time looked like a cheap kia from the early 2000s and now the new models look weirdly like a Tesla. I’m sure that’s complete coincidence though. China with it’s super strict IP laws and parents should never steal anything.

        • gens
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          18
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          China has many more competent engineers then… any other country. They often steal ideas (everybody does), and even whole designs (less of everybody does). But i doubt they stole anything for ev-s. Making the “car” part is harder then the “electric part”, especially for china.

          • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            5
            ·
            1 year ago

            China has many more competent engineers then… any other country.

            LOL

            Funniest thing I’ve heard in a long time.

            Tell me you know fuck-all about engineering and manufacturing without telling me you know fuck-all about engineering and manufacturing.

            • gens
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              arrow-down
              3
              ·
              1 year ago

              The frog in a well knows nothing of the sea.

        • nodiratime@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Imagine thinking a “theft” of the idea of a trash can looking like a futuristic car dreamed of by kids in the 90s is something to cry over.

          • Astroturfed@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            They were very far ahead in many technical areas until recently. Revisionist history is silly.

    • orangeboats@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      21
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Tell me you know nothing about Chinese EVs without telling me you know nothing about Chinese EVs. BYD’s best sellers are actually plug-in hybrids, which is in no way “stolen” from Tesla.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Whatever happened to hybrids? Why did we all the sudden decide we need to push for 100% electric nationwide?

        • tony@lemmy.hoyle.me.uk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Hybrids were an necessity when large batteries weren’t feasable (in the first Leaf, for example, the 24kw battery was about 80% of the cost, it’s amazing they could sell it at a profit at all).

          Falling prices and increased capacity means that isn’t really the case any more, and it’s not really worth the complexity of a hybrid.

        • Aux@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Hybrids have all the issues of both combustion and electric cars and none of the benefits. Well, except for fast refueling.

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          Hybrids were a great transition technology that never got as widespread as it should have, but now pure EVs are practical, and approach legacy car prices. They’re still a little high but it’s in the ballpark enough that the low operating cost make it worthwhile