• finitebanjo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Michael Dunne is actually someone who worked in Chinese Automotive manufacturing. He’s the Chinese car manufacturer saying “Chinese cars are good and cheap.”

      His word is basically meaningless.

  • SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Dam maybe some of the American automakers who took billions in subsidies should have built cheaper cars instead of the largest trucks possible to skirt regulations.

    I literally can’t afford an American car, i can afford a BYD tho.

    • lightnegative@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      I can afford neither, but if I had to save up for one it would be the BYD.

      American cars are just large, stupid and inefficient. Also the parts are very expensive here in New Zealand

    • jaykrown@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      I bought a used Chevrolet Bolt '23 which is the closest I could get, they’re still relatively cheap and mine has been working great.

  • whotookkarl@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    No shit, people want cheap, reliable transport and workers would want to build them, build and work on replacement parts, build batteries, etc. The only people supported by blocking BYD in the US are executives, shareholders, and the politicians they bought.

    • Fair Fairy@thelemmy.club
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      US is not a country, there is no strong federal power to choose direction.
      US is like Poland before being divided, everything run by oligarchs and every oligarch just pulling for himself.

  • SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    The same thing happened in the 80s with Japan. The Japanese were no longer making crappy cars but small and very reliable, affordable cars. Detroit was still making rust buckets, obsessing over powerful engines with bodies that rotted out and defects galore. Detroit got beaten up badly (Chrysler had to get a gov bailout) until they cleaned up their act and improved their products. Protecting Detroit from competition would’ve just saddled US consumers with decades more of crappy, overpriced, low quality, cars.

    https://imprimis.hillsdale.edu/how-detroits-automakers-went-from-kings-of-the-road-to-roadkill/

    We still don’t let in the small pickups the rest of the world enjoys.

    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      defects galore

      A friend of mine from high school attended the GM Institute and became an engineer for them. One of his first projects was on a team that bought a Lexus and an Infiniti when they first came on the market and took them apart to see how many production defects they had. He said a typical American car at the time (and this was in the '90s after quality had rebounded somewhat from its disastrous nadir) had 300-400 defects. The Infiniti they took apart had 2. The Lexus had 0.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      Protecting Detroit from competition would’ve just saddled US consumers with decades more of crappy, overpriced, low quality, cars.

      And it did. Japanese companies maintained a solid portion of the market in the US, a notable lead in quality, and many consumers no longer willing to waste money on crappy overpriced low quality cars from American companies. American cars were forced to get better and they’re better off for it, but they resisted the entire time, just like today.

    • Waffle@infosec.pub
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      I would kill for a small electric truck… Telo is calling my name, but they don’t have a functioning product yet.

      • Machinist@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        3 months ago

        Right there with you on small trucks, the kid and I have been drooling over the Slate even if it is Bezos. I drive a '98 Ranger, and we’ve been kicking around the idea of a Ranger electric conversion.

    • sobchak@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Did Japan back then pay their assembly line workers the equivalent of $5k USD/year (in today’s dollars) and have nearly no worker protections? Not a rhetorical question; I just don’t know. Seems like Japan had a better standard of living back then compared to Chinese workers now, so I would guess their workers were compensated and treated better.

      Not defending US auto corps (or any corp for that matter). The regulatory capture in the US is insane, and workers aren’t treated as well as most of the rest of the first world.

      • rottingleaf@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        3 months ago

        Japan back then had (and still has) an interesting socioeconomic system, a bit similar to samurai clans went cartels, where workers are supposed to work all their life in one place (or close to that), don’t squeal about worker rights and such, but be covered by lots of company-provided social nets and guarantees.

      • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        3 months ago

        5K/year isn’t exactly poverty when rent is <200, phone data is 20, and you can get pic for 1.50 USD. I too would like them to be treated better, but I dont know if their overall situation is worse than the average american worker making 50K, but spending 24K on rent, 12K on car payments, and 16USD if they eat out.

  • MrSilkworm@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    3 months ago

    Former GM Executive: BYD cars are better and cheaper than American. If we let BYD into the U.S. Market, we wouldn’t be able to be greedy and enshitify our products any more, which would end up destroying american car manufacturers. FTFY.

    P.S. Actually the average american would be benefited from that

    • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Well, nearly half a million mostly union jobs would also be lost, causing a minor recession at the very least. Even if the jobs partially come back in the form of BYD plants, they probably wouldn’t be union jobs.

  • Tiger666@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    3 months ago

    Really, why is that? Is it maybe you are too greedy and make garbage? Is it? Hun?

    Fuck executives.

  • qyron@sopuli.xyz
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    3 months ago

    I don’t give two cents for the american auto brands but spare me the drama: try and make a proper car.

    Looking at Ford: try importing a few models from the european line and offer it in the states. Small, economic, somewhat reliable, fuel efficient cars.

    Stellantis has a slew of models that could be brought into the american market. They make good cars.

    And I’m willing to bet GM as a few models they build and market overseas that would be guaranteed sucesses.

    • Jimmycakes@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Not enough Americans will buy small euro cars. Do you seriously think they wouldn’t just do that if they could justify the cost of switching off a f150 assembly line to make a small car they would. Ford and Chevy both had a ton of small cars throughout the years but the sales aren’t there anymore.

      • AlexLost@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        3 months ago

        You are wrong. American manufacturers are captured by the oil conglomerates to sell fuel. That’s why you have giant behemoths barrelling down the highways. F150s have almost doubled in size over the last two decades.

      • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        3 months ago

        Ford stopped making cars because they can’t compete with the current crop of cars coming from Japan/Korea and Europe regardless of how much money they throw at the problem. They have their niche with trucks and SUVs and are happy to stay there. China builds cars using massive government subsidies, slave labor, and local resources that aren’t available to anyone else in the world which is why I think it’s right to fight against them because it’s impossible to compete against them just like a small local grocery store can’t compete against Walmart.

        • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          China builds cars using massive government subsidies

          The federal government ended the the EV subsidy a few years ago.

          slave labor

          lmao. We know what slavery looks like, you can see it in the cotton fields outside Angola Prison, rows of enslaved people, and overseer on a horse, all behind barbed wire. In Xinjiang I saw farmers driving combine harvesters in roadside fields.

          local resources that arent available

          You’re getting closer. Through 1 and 5 year plans, the CPC uses SoEs (and sometimes just asks private companies “nicely”) to ensure the foundational inputs, steel, rubber, chips, college graduates, etc are all available to industry at the specific price point and volume that competing private firms need to produce say, 100m EVs or a million more apartments.

          Any country can do a little central planning to make sure private industry has what it needs, but this only works if you’re able to take action against companies that exploit the system.

          • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            3 months ago

            The federal government ended the the EV subsidy a few years ago.

            Buyers of any EV not just American EVs.

            lmao. We know what slavery looks like, you can see it in the cotton fields outside Angola Prison, rows of enslaved people, and overseer on a horse, all behind barbed wire.

            I’m glad you find slavery so comical.

            Were these inmates enslaved for their religious beliefs being different than the official party line? We they imprisoned for not wanting to be controlled by a dictatorship? No. No they weren’t.

            Through 1 and 5 year plans, the CPC uses SoEs (and sometimes just asks private companies “nicely”) to ensure the foundational inputs, steel, rubber, chips, college graduates, etc are all available to industry at the specific price point and volume that competing private firms need to produce say, 100m EV or a million more apartments.

            Gee, it sure sounds like you’re listing even more slavery than I mentioned. Imagine Trump declaring that every college grad needs to make themselves available to build a border wall.

            Any country can do a little central planning to make sure private industry has what it needs, but this only works if you’re able to take action against companies that exploit the system.

            The only exploitation mentioned here is the government exploiting the people. It seems your argument is based on your warped belief that if the US is committing atrocities than it’s okay for everyone else to do so, yet your examples are in stark contrast to what’s happening here. Your views are frankly quite disgusting and proof of how absurd the Chinese government’s propaganda arm is.

            • Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              3 months ago

              Buyers of any EV not just American EVs.

              I was talking about china, their federal govt ended ev subsidies in 2022. I suspect some city and provincial level govts still do various types of subsidies.

              We they imprisoned for not wanting to be controlled by a dictatorship?

              Bro are you trying to justify slavery in the US? You dont have to do that to criticize China. But you have to have to learn about its actual problems, not just accept any silly stories western media comes up with. Try visiting some time, its incredibley cheap, you can rent out decent sized apartments for 15/night in most cities, theres also sleeper trains, combine transport and 1 nights lodging, and food is often <2usd/meal.

              Imagine Trump declaring that every college grad needs to make themselves available to build a border wall.

              That’s not how that works at all, they simply invest more into educating people into a particular field to ensure there will be enough people with the required skills in a particular area.

              How did you even misinterpret my post like that?

        • jaek@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          China builds cars using massive government subsidies, slave labor, and local resources that aren’t available to anyone else in the world

          Why are Japanese and Korean cars also better/cheaper than American cars then?

          Slave labor

          Citation needed

          Massive government subsidies

          The US doesn’t massively subsidise auto-makers?

          But yeah china bad

        • AA5B@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          0
          ·
          3 months ago

          You’d have an argument if legacy manufacturers were trying. We could talk about support if they were willing. They don’t want it. They’ve already given up

          • CmdrShepard49@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            3 months ago

            By “legacy manufacturers” you mean every major auto manufacturer in the world that isn’t based in China?Nobody else is selling new cars for as little as $4k because other countries aren’t using slave labor in mines and factory floors. It’s impossible to compete against that unless you engage in it yourself.

    • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      What Ford European line? They discontinued the Mondeo and their minivans. Now it’s hatch or crappy SUV. Or Mustang. Oh wait. Focus is end of life too now. It’s mustang or crappy crossover SUVs only.

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Uh, to be clear, I don’t think Michael Dunne is advocating against China in this context. He worked in the Chinese auto sector for decades. He isn’t an alarmist, he’s their salesman.

  • network_switch@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    0
    ·
    3 months ago

    Tariffs be damned, I will not buy an American brand car. They’ve been mediocre my whole life and it’s always been easier to source parts for Hondas and Toyotas. I’m not sure how repairable any EV is, but I doubt American brands will top the charts of value in repairability in my lifetime

    • PalmTreeIsBestTree@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      Before that they enshitified the labor movement and unions via red scare tactics so there was less resistance to the enshitification process

    • SirMaple__@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      3 months ago

      We can’t buy Chinese EV’s in Canada thanks to the 100% tariff imposed by the GoC. I wish they’d get rid of the tariff. Our cheapest EV option right now is the Fiat 500e and that starts at over $30,000.