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  • What a $15,000 Electric SUV Says About U.S.-China Car Rivalry

    From ltlee1@21:1/5 to All on Sun May 4 13:05:45 2025
    XPost: alt.politics.usa

    From WSJ "

    "SHANGHAI—The offer sounds like a scam—a new Toyota electric-powered sport-utility vehicle for about $15,000, complete with sunroof and cup
    holders.

    But the Toyota bZ3X is real, and it is actually on sale starting at that
    price. There is a catch: To buy one, you have to be in China.
    ..
    For an American used to a $50,000 gasoline-powered SUV as the standard
    family choice, the Chinese market is hardly recognizable.

    A majority of new vehicles sold in China are either fully electric or
    plug-in hybrids, and a look around the recent auto show in Shanghai
    showed that local makers have mostly stopped introducing new
    gasoline-powered models. In the U.S., by contrast, the traditional
    combustion engine still powers about eight in 10 new vehicles.
    ..

    The price difference is overwhelming. ... when a decent starter model
    costs $10,000 and a luxury seven-seater with reclining massage chairs
    can be had for $50,000. Because of customer demand, even the low-end
    models come with advanced driver-assistance software.
    ..
    Tesla is better-positioned than other American automakers to compete in
    China, since its models have always been all-electric and it makes the
    vehicles in Shanghai with Chinese batteries.

    Yet it has fallen behind in another aspect that makes China special:
    speed of development.
    ..

    Toyota said its bZ3X—the recently introduced model that starts at $15,000—was designed in China by the company’s engineers in the country, who worked with a local joint-venture partner. It is made in Guangzhou
    with Chinese batteries and driver-assistance software from Momenta, a
    Chinese leader in that field.

    “This couldn’t happen without a Chinese supply chain,” said Masahiko Maeda, head of Toyota’s Asia business. “Unless you localize, it’s out of the question.”

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From ltlee1@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 16 13:38:54 2025
    XPost: alt.politics.usa

    Trump does not seem to believe climate change and green energy.
    Europeans have a different view.

    Cidob (Barcelona Center for International Affair) had a piece this May (originally in spanish) which Google translated English title is “Green
    Soft Power.. China’s New Strategy in Europe”

    “By increasing investment in green technology in Europe, China has been
    able to improve its image in various European countries, creating jobs
    and offering quality products at competitive prices. Beyond the offices
    of Brussels, various local and central governments of European states
    have strengthened relations with China through this sector. In recent
    years, China has positioned itself as a major green power, generating
    soft power that has helped it rebuild ties with a Europe with similar
    climate goals.

    Private Internationalization, Geopolitical Gains

    In the last five years of cooling political relations between the EU and
    China, the electric vehicle sector has been central to maintaining
    economic relations between the two powers. By 2023, investments in the
    EV field already accounted for 70% of China’s foreign direct investment
    in Europe. China’s new green manufacturing in Europe has been largely concentrated (85%) in the battery sector, with new factories announced
    in recent years in countries as diverse as Hungary, France, Germany,
    Slovakia, Spain, and Poland. Furthermore, the European Union is already
    the largest export market for EVs manufactured in China.

    This internationalization of companies in the electric vehicle sector in
    Europe was not a premeditated strategy by the Beijing government, but
    was initiated primarily by the Chinese private sector, due to the high
    level of domestic competition in the Asian country. After years of
    highly successful industrial policy, China has established itself as a
    major electric vehicle power, producing 60% of the world’s EVs and 80%
    of batteries. Both local companies such as BYD and foreign companies
    producing in China, such as Tesla, have benefited from China’s
    industrial policy, generating fierce internal competition despite the
    market distortions that public subsidies and aid often generate. China
    has also positioned itself as a major hub for high innovation in
    batteries, which currently represent more than a third of the cost of an
    EV.” (Google translated English version)

    https://prod.cidob.org/publicaciones/soft-power-verde-nueva-estrategia-china-europa

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)