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This is entirely because manufacturers thought they saw a way to pad margins and then US politicians added tariffs to Chinese EVs to protect them from lower-cos

This is entirely because manufacturers thought they saw a way to pad margins and then US politicians added tariffs to Chinese EVs to protect them from lower-cost competition. As the other reply mentions, this isn't an issue in China. And now that the bet on expensive EV growth allowing manufacturers to have fat margins forever isn't panning out, they're all freaking out about cheap Chinese models and pivoting to design cheap EVs. You see this more in Europe than the US because Europe doesnt have the same protectionist tariffs the US does. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/fear-cheap-chinese-evs-spurs-automaker-dash-affordable-cars-2023-12-08/ https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/fear-c...

mikrotikker 3y ago
The Chinese EVs are very unsafe. Many many fires are happening with them, but you don't see it reported due to the journalistic repression there. The sales numbers of Chinese EVs also look good because they'll buy hundreds of cars from their own stock and then park them in a field to rot, just to make the numbers look good. IMO there shouldn't be a tariff on Chinese EVs but an outright ban.
- rdtsc 3y ago
  > The Chinese EVs are very unsafe. Many many fires are happening with them, but you don't see it reported due to the journalistic repression there. Wonder if it's just carelessness, or it's there is an inherent cost to make them safe. As in, did they just not bother because of laziness, or that extra safety to prevent fires takes up the 2x-3x price markup and there is simply no way around it.
  - mikrotikker 3y ago
    IMO it's cost saving.
- freddie_mercury 3y ago
  Why does there need to be a ban? Why isn't simply enforcing existing US safety standards sufficient?
  - mikrotikker 3y ago
    Depends if you want to QA every single shipment to ensure they don't revert back to cheaping out like they've done with other markets in the past.

mikrotikker 3y ago

The Chinese EVs are very unsafe. Many many fires are happening with them, but you don't see it reported due to the journalistic repression there. The sales numbers of Chinese EVs also look good because they'll buy hundreds of cars from their own stock and then park them in a field to rot, just to make the numbers look good. IMO there shouldn't be a tariff on Chinese EVs but an outright ban.

rdtsc 3y ago
> The Chinese EVs are very unsafe. Many many fires are happening with them, but you don't see it reported due to the journalistic repression there. Wonder if it's just carelessness, or it's there is an inherent cost to make them safe. As in, did they just not bother because of laziness, or that extra safety to prevent fires takes up the 2x-3x price markup and there is simply no way around it.
- mikrotikker 3y ago
  IMO it's cost saving.
freddie_mercury 3y ago
Why does there need to be a ban? Why isn't simply enforcing existing US safety standards sufficient?
- mikrotikker 3y ago
  Depends if you want to QA every single shipment to ensure they don't revert back to cheaping out like they've done with other markets in the past.