Who cares if China just cut prices on 22 different EVs? That couldn’t happen in America, could it?

Photo above - would you buy this EV for $8,000? Sorry, you raised your hand too fast. The maker (BYD) just cut the price in China due to slow sales. Not coming to America any time soon, apparently.

Let’s do a level-set first. Tesla is NOT the world’s largest EV maker. That would be “BYD” in China. Even before Musk tanked Tesla’s sales with his crazy antics, Model 3 and Model Y and tonka toy truck purchases were falling. Something about then all looking the same, costing too much, having poor build quality, and not being updated/refreshed with better tech and batteries.

Chinese automaker BYD changed its name from “Biyadi” to “Build Your Dream”. Which still has minimal market resonance outside of Shenzen City. You’d think the largest EV maker in the world would be sitting on top of that world, right? You don’t have to be named Tesla to have customers walk away from you.

BYD cut prices on 22 EVs over the weekend (see link below). Which sounds fishy, since that's actually more than the number of different models listed on their website. And most of BYD's product lineup ISNT EVs . .. more than half are ICE and hybrid cars.

BYD’s stock immediately fell 8%. Evidently shareholders aren’t buying the theory that price cuts are simply a way to increase customer’s inner joy, as Confucius would put it. It’s hard to tell exactly how much BYD reduced it's prices, but the Yuan is only 14 cents to the dollar, and their entry level EV lists for around 57,000 yuan. Yeah, that SOUNDS expensive, but in real money it’s less than $8,000. And they weren't exactly flying off dealer’s lots even at that price. Hence, the Memorial Day specials, until further notice.

BYDs are not for sale in the USA (yet). Evidently they’re a hit in some EU countries, where the alternative usually is electrified Mercedes, Volvos, Porsches and Audis costing more than $100,000. Not sure how well an $8,000 EV does on the Autobahn, but that’s a different question.

In the USA I’d be in the market for a $30,000 EV. Something that can cruise the interstate at 70 mph, survive a crash test, and has a range at least comparable to Honda Civic. If it costs more than that, or is pokier than that, or the cabin reverberates at 100 decibels when you're driving, I’m not interested. So BYD’s price cuts are largely irrelevant to me, and maybe to you.

That leaves the question: why are CHINESE buyers shunning BYD’s cars? It might have something to do with $hitty battery range, unable operate at highway speeds, indifferent build quality, and astonishing levels of NVH. But I haven’t test driven one. Chinese buyers have.

Honda, and Toyota, when are your $30,000 EVs coming to America? Or getting built here? I’m tired of reading about theoretical future breakthroughs in solid state batteries with mind blowing range and blink of an eye recharging times. You’ve had 10 years to solve this. Put up or shut up. Or some upstart like BYD actually WILL eat your lunch soon.

I’m just sayin’ . . .

BYD just fired another shot in China's EV price war — and investors are worried

BYD Car Models List | Complete List of All BYD Models

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whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

Another small point on the BYD cars.. They have developed a second Generation battery system that stores about 30% more energy in the same size/mass of battery and is cheaper to produce at the same time. there was discussion whether this would cause a price drop itself. Either in ther new cars. Or in the current models that were about toi be superseded..All things considered, BYD is looking more and more like the category killer in global EVs..😷

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman i hadn't heard that there was a new battery. but it's still not solid state, right? if it is, then we can say goodbye to situations like

1. "park outside" warnings, because cars burst into flames while recharging.

2. cars that burst into flames when the storm surge for a hurricane reaches them.

3. cars that burst into flames and burn at 1,000 degrees after a highway collision, requiring the California highway patrol to summon fire fighting aircraft to douse it.

4. the entire shipload of mercededs EVs which burst into flames in rough seas while crossing the Atlantic, a year or so ago. They weren't even plugged in. Just slippin' and slidin' . . .

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Quite so.. However, toyota are supposed to be soon to release a different formula, salt based battery. This answers the rare eart scarcity problem and should drive prices down further still. The thing lurking in the shadows is hydrogen. The only exhaust is water. It can be produced artificially from sunlight and its byproduct in the process is oxygen..Its time is coming, once staorage and transport issues are sorted out..And a hypride hyprogen/battery may solve everyone issues. (except the oil companies..)😷

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@whowasthatmaskedman i've had questions in the past on hydrogen for cars. they involve things like:

1 - the insanely high energy inputs to turn H20 into H and 0.

2 - the urban impact of thousands of vehicles spewing water vapor (steam) into hot summer streets

3 - the explosive nature of gaseous hydrogen. more dangerous than gasoline.

whowasthatmaskedman · 70-79, M

@SusanInFlorida Dealing with Q1 and 3. Yes. the energy cost is high. But it is electrical and can be provide close to free from Solar panels and wind or tide power, once the plant is established.. Anf the explosive power and fire of Hydrogen is actually far less than gasoline and kerosine. As a light gas it tends to burn upward in a cloud, not pour downward and soak prople and objects and it disipates very quickly. The most infamous hydrogen fireball was the Hindenberg. And out of the 97 passengers and crew, 62 survived. (one ground crweman also perished) Yet to look at the footage, one would have to wonder how anyone got out of that..All things considered, Hydrogen is less dangerous than a Lithium battery on fire and probably less dangerous than gasoline, which is contained in a far more fragile tank and pipe system..
As for your view of the exhaust steam causing an issue, you may have a point.. But a simple vapor condenser in the exhaust system may be your answer..😷