4 ms·

>copy of a chinese "Today Sunshine M1" copy as in someone in Argentina Reverse engineered Chinese EV and is manufacturing it? or rebadge of Chinese made car wh

by rasz 4y ago

>copy of a chinese "Today Sunshine M1" copy as in someone in Argentina Reverse engineered Chinese EV and is manufacturing it? or rebadge of Chinese made car while claiming to be "100% Argentine car" like that scam https://www.thelocal.se/20220129/hyped-swedish-car-start-up-passed-off-chinese-ev-as-new-model-zero/ https://www.thelocal.se/20220129/hyped-swedish-car-start-up-...

adolfojp 4y ago
It looks almost exactly like the Sunshine M1 but with a slightly different body kit.
- walrus01 4y ago
  this reminds me of the companies that have claimed to be the "manufacturer" of an electric motorcycle but are in fact importing a knocked down kit of electric motorcycle parts from an alibaba vendor in china.
  - sudosysgen 4y ago
    I mean, if they make the frame themselves, I don't see the issue. It's like saying that the the first Buells weren't made by Buell because they had a Harley engine and Ohlins suspension.
    - walrus01 4y ago
      most of them import the frame too, the difference is on the decals and maybe some plastic body pieces only
908B64B197 4y ago
Knowing Argentina's history with currency control, parallels economies and punitive import duties, it's probably the later where some insiders are pocketing the difference by claiming the car is "made in Argentina" (but is illegally imported from China). If you can't compete, slap duties!
- kragen 4y ago
  That's not how it works here. You import things legally from China—not only without the punitive import duties applied to finished products but actually at the currency-control-subsidized exchange rate, so you get a 40% discount courtesy of the central bank—assemble them in Argentina, slap an eagle sticker on them that says "Industria Argentina", and sell them domestically while enjoying the punitive-import-duty protection from foreign companies, all 100% legally. The only tricky part is that if the ruling party decides they don't like you, they'll 100% legally deny you the authorization to buy the dollars you need to import your parts. Then you're sunk: there's no legal way to import your parts, and as an aboveboard business you can't use parts you import illegally. So, better make sure you stay on their good side. This is a big reason why our GDP is smaller now than it was ten years ago. We were already in a crisis before covid.
  - notch656a 4y ago
    Does Argentina have much of a Navy? There is quite a generous coast line. One that I would think would make customs control very tricky unless you have first world tier surveillance of the coasts.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      Heh then you’re not aboveboard anymore. But I’m sure there’s a thriving market. One of the countries down there even has a name for that type of vehicle - it was on HN last year or so.
      - kragen 4y ago
        You're thinking of "chutos" in Bolivia, probably, but those aren't smuggled into America as a whole, just across the borders between different American countries. Contrary to our friend's ridiculous assertions above, ships are easier to detect than trucks, and a container port is not an easy thing for smugglers to keep hidden. Argentina was founded on smuggling but it doesn't work like that :)

by rasz 4y ago

adolfojp 4y ago

It looks almost exactly like the Sunshine M1 but with a slightly different body kit.

walrus01 4y ago
this reminds me of the companies that have claimed to be the "manufacturer" of an electric motorcycle but are in fact importing a knocked down kit of electric motorcycle parts from an alibaba vendor in china.
- sudosysgen 4y ago
  I mean, if they make the frame themselves, I don't see the issue. It's like saying that the the first Buells weren't made by Buell because they had a Harley engine and Ohlins suspension.
  - walrus01 4y ago
    most of them import the frame too, the difference is on the decals and maybe some plastic body pieces only

908B64B197 4y ago

Knowing Argentina's history with currency control, parallels economies and punitive import duties, it's probably the later where some insiders are pocketing the difference by claiming the car is "made in Argentina" (but is illegally imported from China). If you can't compete, slap duties!

kragen 4y ago
That's not how it works here. You import things legally from China—not only without the punitive import duties applied to finished products but actually at the currency-control-subsidized exchange rate, so you get a 40% discount courtesy of the central bank—assemble them in Argentina, slap an eagle sticker on them that says "Industria Argentina", and sell them domestically while enjoying the punitive-import-duty protection from foreign companies, all 100% legally. The only tricky part is that if the ruling party decides they don't like you, they'll 100% legally deny you the authorization to buy the dollars you need to import your parts. Then you're sunk: there's no legal way to import your parts, and as an aboveboard business you can't use parts you import illegally. So, better make sure you stay on their good side. This is a big reason why our GDP is smaller now than it was ten years ago. We were already in a crisis before covid.
- notch656a 4y ago
  Does Argentina have much of a Navy? There is quite a generous coast line. One that I would think would make customs control very tricky unless you have first world tier surveillance of the coasts.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    Heh then you’re not aboveboard anymore. But I’m sure there’s a thriving market. One of the countries down there even has a name for that type of vehicle - it was on HN last year or so.
    - kragen 4y ago
      You're thinking of "chutos" in Bolivia, probably, but those aren't smuggled into America as a whole, just across the borders between different American countries. Contrary to our friend's ridiculous assertions above, ships are easier to detect than trucks, and a container port is not an easy thing for smugglers to keep hidden. Argentina was founded on smuggling but it doesn't work like that :)