What, if anything, can the West do to catch up?

No politics, boys and girls.

 

 

Countries without import restrictions on cars are the deciding factor because they can choose anything from anywhere. Look to those markets for what sells and doesn't sell that will tell you who makes the better cars.

My money is on China as well based on what I see on our roads today

7 minutes ago, Matthew Kane said:

My money is on China as well based on what I see on our roads today

 

My daughters just bought a Toyota Yaris GR Sport hybrid. And I must say, having driven it - its my first experience of Toyota or Japaese cars - it's VERY good. Will run on pure battery power for extended periods before kicking in the little 3 cylinder petrol engine and accelerates very well indeed. 0 to 60 is 9.2, but the electric aspect makes it feel faster than that. Suspension is great, too. 

But yes, from what I read about the Chinese cars, not just BEVs, they are phenomenal cars. BYD Seal and Dolphin are great cars, apparently. Good price and all the extras you require.

Im doubtful the rest of the world will catch up. 

There are many factors as to why Chinese cars are or are perceived to be better than U.S. designed and manufactured vehicles.

Industrial espionage perhaps..

"Oh Grandma!  How smart you are!"

"The better to monitor your social credit score, my dear."

Anyone remember the general quality difference between Japanese and American cars in, say, the 70's?  American cars have gotten a LOT better since then. 

If you didn't want a big car for whatever reason, well, they'd already killed the Corvair.  "The '73 Mustang Grande... bigger, heavier!" -- straight out of the advertisements.  Some of the pony cars were still pretty good.  The VW Beetle was popular.  How many new small pick-up trucks are for sale now?  The laws are regulated against them.

When safety bumpers were first mandated, it was as if American car makers wanted to make them as ugly as possible.  Foreign manufacturers figured it out quickly.  Not my opinion, this was published in car magazines of the era.  We caught up.

Don't worry, we'll get there.  Who says competition is a bad thing? 😄   If the Ford CEO was shocked, well, sometimes it takes a kick in the pants.

Hook

1 hour ago, Delta111 said:

Industrial espionage perhaps..

I didn't get this at first.  But yeah, didn't the government forbid employees from talking about classified topics in Chinese cars?

"Chinese cars spying on us?  No... they wouldn't do THAT!"  Uh huh.

Hook

1 hour ago, Delta111 said:

Industrial espionage perhaps..

Misconception, if Americans were more advanced smart phones would have been a domestic product all along. All the high tech consumer goods made in the last quarter century are from Asia.

Steve Jobs tried extremely hard to keep Apple products made in California but lost that initiative long ago. Tesla is making gains in modern tech but to be honest BYD is light years ahead of Tesla 

the issue is Chinese Cars are not making it into the USA due to restrictions so you guys just aren’t seeing them, you’re seeing just Teslas, if BYD was an option for you then you could make a proper determination by comparing them, but you are only seeing Teslas

13 minutes ago, Matthew Kane said:

the issue is Chinese Cars are not making it into the USA due to restrictions so you guys just aren’t seeing them

I think the problem is more that consumer taste in North America is geared towards oversized cars. If you think about it, a Ford F 150 has an empty weight of about 4500 lbs and is normally used to carry a payload of around 180-360 lbs (1-2 pax). A friend recently bought a small airplane that has an empty weight of 750 lbs and can carry the same payload, faster. And yet, the F 150 is the best selling model here.

Just now, qqwertz said:

I think the problem is more that consumer taste in North America is geared towards oversized cars. If you think about it, a Ford F 150 has an empty weight of about 4500 lbs and is normally used to carry a payload of around 180-360 lbs (1-2 pax). A friend recently bought a small airplane that has an empty weight of 750 lbs and can carry the same payload, faster. And yet, the F 150 is the best selling model here.

The number 1 selling vehicle in New Zealand is a Ford Truck as well, not a Tesla or a BYD. But we can buy any vehicle from anywhere and drive them, so with our open market Ford Trucks are still #1. 

The battle between BYD and Tesla which is also competing for global market share in that category, BYD is far better overall, but Ford will sell more trucks anyways people need those for work

24 minutes ago, Matthew Kane said:

Tesla is making gains in modern tech but to be honest BYD is light years ahead of Tesla 

 

Not sure about lightyears, but I pretty much agree. In fact, Tesla are now using BYD batteries. BYD seem to have better quality interiors and no silly decisions like, no stalks, yoke steering wheels, almost zero physical switches and swiping a screen for drive and reverse. Build quality better, I believe.

This expands well beyond cars...  
How long before we start to see COMAC aircraft at the gates next to Boeing and Airbus?  

If I was A and B I would be absolutely terrified of C right now... 

When I was stationed in Japan I bought a Toyota Tiara at the Post Exchange at Tachikawa AFB.  I drove it in Japan for a year and I brought it back with me when we returned to the United States.  It was quite a novelty here and once had a highway patrolman stop me just to ask what kind of car it was.

Lately I've been driving a Toyota Prius I purchased in 2019 for $29,000.  It was my third Prius,  They were great little cars for my needs just driving around town.  I got over 40 MPG.  The last one I bought was a limited edition and had a HUD that displayed the speed and current MPG and whether I was driving on battery or the gasoline engine.  But Alas!  I have gotten too old to drive and sold it back to the dealer I bought it from for $20,000.

I bought my wife a Toyota Corolla to drive around town in.  Then I sold it back to the dealer when I won a Toyota Camry in a drawing which I gave to my wife.  When she died I sold it back to the dealer.

Watashiwa  Nihonjin des when it comes to cars.

Noelsan 

I just read that China has a new battery that can fully charge in 5 mins.

53 minutes ago, starstream707 said:

I just read that China has a new battery that can fully charge in 5 mins.

 

Yep. Fantastic range, too. Semi-solid state, I recall.