6 ms·
We don't need a $1,200 Chinese electric deathtrap to accelerate EV buying, we need a better charging network. Range anxiety and reliability are the factors that
by swalling 3y ago
We don't need a $1,200 Chinese electric deathtrap to accelerate EV buying, we need a better charging network. Range anxiety and reliability are the factors that have put EV purchases in a slump (not to mention interest rates).
The article itself acknowledges this briefly: "one of the biggest challenges that EVs face here is not the cars; it’s the chargers. In America, charging stations are still too hard to find, and they are too unreliable. China’s charging network is much more extensive than America’s, even in rural areas. Ash Sutcliffe, of the massive Chinese carmaker Geely, told me that in the eastern part of the country, you’re generally never more than a kilometer away from a charging station".
- powerapple 3y agoAn EV with motor generator, charge at home, and fill your tank when you have to make a longer trip just in case, problem solved. It should work for many scenarios but not all of them. Say the battery covers 300km, with a tank of gas it can cover 600-900km, should be enough for everyone.
- Buttons840 3y agoLots of people who bike around would like a $1,200 EV I bet. We don't currently care too much about the death trap that is a bicycle on American roads, so a Chinese EV death trap should be okay too.
- jwells89 3y agoMaybe not $1200 but something in like an electrified Toyota Yaris/Mazda 2 hatchback the ballpark of $15000-$25000 sure would be nice. I like the look of the 2024 Fiat 500e but that $34000 MSRP is difficult to justify for a practical little town errand car.
- accountinhn 3y agoBolt EV is around $27K and believe Nissan Leaf is also in the same price range. So, with taxes you are look at max $30K. If you qualify for the federal tax credit, then you should be able to get that well within your price range.
- jwells89 3y agoBolt is discontinued and dealerships in my area don’t sell them for under $31k. Leaf also isn’t long for this world, is based on an ancient platform, and starts at $30k in my area. I don’t qualify for the tax credit.
- morepork 3y agoThat's what this Chinese manufacturers provide. Here in New Zealand you can get a GWM Ora for 43k (26k USD) or MG4 for 47k (29k USD). These both include 15% GST. If they could export to the US without penalties, I'd expect the prices to be even lower due to economies of scale in a much larger market.
- biotopia 3y agoagreed, also, what is with all these articles written/submitted in favor of Chinese EVs in US? do they not know we are currently fighting an indirect war with China, with China supplying Russia's invasion against Europe being supplied by US? do they not know China is basically the backer for Houthi, Iran, North Korea, and Russia?
- grandma_tea 3y agoI didn't read the whole article because of the paywall, but I was taking it from the angle of "why can't we encourage this kind of development in America?" As opposed to "we should import Chinese cars." I am frustrated by it because I feel like we could be doing better. I mean, the best thing would be to invest in public transport but I would also be happy with more cheap car offerings.
- ralph84 3y agoThe answer to “why can’t we do things China does” is we decided a long time ago that we value environmental and worker protection more than China does.
- CharlieDigital 3y agoI don't see how China focusing on building EV cars is somehow weakening worker protections or damaging the environment more than building ICE cars. They have issues, but none of that is related to the topic of the article.
- dragonmost 3y agoYou can sell your cars much cheaper if you barely pay the workers and don't invest in safety equipment.
- ZeroGravitas 3y agoThis question has been investigated fairly thoroughly for PV solar and scale of manufacturing and government support are far bigger factors. Remember PV and EV are technology, getting smaller, cheaper, better as it iterates.
- m463 3y agoLooks like they are all $10k anyway https://www.changliev.com/ https://www.changliev.com/
- datavirtue 3y agoAmericans need 20" rims or it ain't happening. Unfortunately that drops the range down to ten miles.
- AtlasBarfed 3y agoThe 1200$ chinese deathtrap that doesn't exceed 25mph is likely safer than: - all golf cars - all ATVs - all mopeds - all motorcycles
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- mlsu 3y agoIt's only a deathtrap because driving in the USA you have to share a massive high speed interstate with 2.5 ton SUVs and pickups. With lower speed local driving (the type that would be enabled by more density), and without subsidizing monstrous american-style cars, I think these smaller EVs would be quite reasonable safety wise.
- SXX 3y agoCheap chinese cars are unsafe. It's a fact. Collision with 3-ton concrete motorway barrier will be deathly in any country.
- mlsu 3y agoSo are bicycles, if you ride them outside of a protected lane. 30mph collision with a barrier is probably quite survivable in one of these things. Obviously 70mph not so. Unsafe depends on your environment. I'm perfectly safe biking about 3/4ths of the way to work. As soon as I get off the protected bikeway, it's a deathtrap.