its my understanding that the US has banned Chinese EVs based on their “ability to send telemetry back to China” (fwiw, every manufacturer is doing something similar, but that’s out of scope for this question).
Waymo has a new class of car they’re using called the Ojai (Oh, hi) that is built by Zeeker, a Chinese company, that is built in China. This seems like it would run afoul of that ban.
I thought I heard somewhere that the car is built in China, but the infotainment system and ecu are then installed here in America, which bypasses that issue. If that’s the case. Why don’t other manufacturers import Chinese EVs and drop in their own infotainment systems for much cheaper?
Edit: it’d be nice to have answers grounded with proof, not just “because bribes! and the oligarchy!”
I don’t think it’s crazy at this point to say it’s likely that corporations are paying Trump privately for exceptions to his orders. In fact, his orders might exist solely to raise funds. He’s running the US Government like the mobsters he grew up with trained him.
I can’t think of any other more plausible answer. The past 2 years have been nothing but a double standards of rules. If you’re confused and think it’s not fair, that’s the point. They just don’t care.
It’s why companies are fleeing the US. Nobody likes to operate under extortion and a spinning kaleidoscope of tarrifs.
They aren’t banned from import. They’re banned from sale. If you want to import one you bought yourself in China you can do that.
Also, if I remember correctly, it wasn’t even a ban outright, it was a 100% tariff of cars for sale. Because, the reason isn’t about data collection, but undercutting all the established manufacturers, with cars heavily subsidized by the Chinese government, to stop them from capturing another important global market.
American cars are built to be expensive so they can make money on financing and repairs. Mechanics are quitting dealerships in droves because they are getting paid peanuts to make repairs that shouldn’t have to be made in ways that are way more convoluted than they need to be.
The American car industry has also been pushing into bigger, heavier cars, where the profit margins are, and they are going to be absolutely creamed by higher MPG competition as gas prices rice.
But, sure, it’s all about unfair Chinese subsisidies. Keep telling yourself that.
Two things can be true at the same time. We’re both right.
Yup. We sure can… but there’s a fine line between protecting sclerotic industries and protecting American workers, and I frankly don’t trust this President to even care about the difference. His administration seems to be driven by “beating China” with the simple-minded fervor of a cat at feeding time.
Biden put the Chinese vehicle tariff in place. And it’s almost entirely about protecting the companies. Protecting the jobs is more a side effect, I expect.
Yup. It looks like Biden upped the tarrif on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%.
Trump’s anti-Chinese bias isn’t unique to him; it’s been part of the policy establishment for a while. China is obviously coming to replace the United States as the Top Dog and a lot of policy makers do not like it.
I thought they couldn’t be DOT certified for road use. Didn’t realize it was just sale. If that’s the case, surprised there isn’t a service to buy them online and have them imported. The same way Tesla got around the franchise laws.
As far as I know DOT certifies vehicles for sale in the US. Individuals can import any vehicles they want. Each state has its own requirements for registration. Because remember, people can build their own cars and as long as they meet the requirements for that state, they can be driven on the roads.
You can certify any car you want. You just have to wreck a bunch of them first. No normal person is going to buy 5 cars just to wreck 4 and finally be allowed the 5th.
Just like anything with the current U.S. administration: They paid the right bribes.
How can waymo claim to have reduced crash rates 41% (after federal rule change made it so only more serious accidents had to be counted)?
How can waymo say they have self driving cars but really it’s just remotely driven from the Philippines?
I think we all know the answer.
So, this is about money. USA cars would stop selling entirely if China came in and undercut everyone. I say that’s how the market works. They say market manipulation also has the word “market” in it.
So, if a company can profit from paying less for a car, they will buy the cheap Chinese car. And since companies control the USA, they get a free pass.
It’s only you that suffers when the oligarchs have their way. It’s only you that can wipe them from the planet.
