Chinese electric car maker BYD looks to build plant in Mexico

[thewayne]

This will be amusing. BYD is a VERY large maker of electric and hybrid vehicles. In the final quarter of 2023 it sold more BEVs in China than Tesla sold in total! And now they want to build a plant in Mexico!

The attractive thing about BYD is they make affordable cars. It's hard to gauge how reliable they are, but as an example, their SUV hybrid can be had for around $30,000! It has an estimated combined range of 450 miles, which is quite respectable.

Naturally Elon is quite welcoming of the competition. No, that's not the word. NOT welcoming. He is quoted as saying "If there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world." This is the man who wants as little government interference in his operations as possible, until he wants his operations defended BY the same government against potential foreign competition!

BYD has six vehicles in production to Tesla's five at a much broader range of price points, and theirs aren't known to develop rust splotches like someone's weird-looking alleged truck.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2024/02/byd-may-build-electric-vehicle-factory-in-mexico-for-us-market/

Comments

[disneydream06]

And the Repubs will bend over backward to protect Muskie. :o :o :o
I should be careful what I say, Dems probably will too. :o :o :o
Hugs, Jon

[thewayne]

Curiously, a while back Musk stopped making right-hand-drive vehicles, shutting himself out of England, Australia, Japan, etc.  Mexico doesn't want him, and with his cars being so expensive, they'll flock to BYD.  Sooner or later BYD will get into the American market, and they'll eat his lunch.  Free market capitalsim, etc.

[disneydream06]

So much for Muskie being the great businessman. :o

And from things I see, China could use the income from Americans buying their cars. :o

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

They're cheap now. But how long will China be able to support a big EV market? Considering they've crippled their economy with the 4:2:1 problem.

[silveradept]

That's an interesting thought. Mind, the US market could certainly use a low-end EV that has good range and is inexpensive enough to get people off of petrol vehicles.