In recent months, a large number of government officials and automotive executives have come out and expressed concerns over cheap Chinese EVs reaching American shores and undercutting U.S.-made all-electric vehicles in a major way. That list includes Blue Oval chairman Bill Ford, FoMoCo CEO Jim Farley, Ford Model e COO Marin Gjaja, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, while the Biden Administration has been exploring ways to prevent this from happening – including, putting pressure on Mexico to stop offering incentives to Chinese automakers looking to erect plants south of the border. As it turns out, those concerns are apparently warranted, at least according to the just-released AlixPartners 2024 International Electric Vehicle Consumer-Sentiment Survey.
After surveying 9,000 people, this study found that anywhere from 47-71 percent of consumers in eight global markets including Germany, Japan, and the U.S. are aware of at least one Chinese EV brand, with BYD leading the way in that regard. Meanwhile 73 percent of respondents in the U.S. said they would consider buying Chinese EVs if those vehicles are priced at least 20 percent lower than a competitive model made in another country.
“China clearly occupies the pole position in the global EV race,” said Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of AlixPartners’ Automotive & Industrial Practice. “China now operates like a mature BEV market, with consumers seeing BEVs as a natural choice. This is due to several factors, including a well-developed BEV-charging ecosystem and high-tech, attractive vehicles that are software-defined. The U.S. and European markets, meanwhile, still have BEVs mostly satisfying early adopters.”
This interesting piece of information clearly demonstrates that EV shoppers remain very much price sensitive, which is precisely why Ford is working on developing a low-cost all-electric vehicle platform. Set to underpin a crossover that’s scheduled to launch in 2026 with a $25k price tag, the motivating force behind this new architecture actually stemmed from a trip to China that Farley and Ford CFO John Lawler took a couple of years ago, too.
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Comments
We wouldn’t have one if it was free.
Not a fan of the full electrics as the cost to the planet to make the batteries is still too high and if American consumers are in for low cost Chinese imports, then maybe they should try some other forms of Chinese transportation like all the small two wheelers that have hard to get parts when they breakdown. It seems like a lot of them are considered disposable because of their low purchase prices. Just a thought that brings back the memories of another low cost vehicle, the Yugo, and we all know how that turned out.
This doesn’t make any sense. If these were the type of vehicles American consumers wanted, the Nissan Leaf would have been a runaway success.
Americans like big vehicles. Always have. If you look at the best selling vehicles in the US, you will see a mismatch w what the Chinese are building.
The Nissan Leaf is still being made and sold here. Add the Nissan Aryia. But their gas models (Rogue) still outsells the electrics.
Customer loyalty is always cost dependent. This is why the Jaoanese gained a foothold in the 1960s and dominate the American markets (I am including South America). The South Koreans gained their foothold this decade. So if American buyers still want cheaper cars, the Chinese will win. Only wealthy Americans will buy domestics.
Your right Ford Owner. At least Ford appears to have learned not to ignore foreign auto manufacturers and are planning to introduce a low priced EV in the near future.
China doesn’t have to pay for labor costs to mine the minerals. Can any publication say slave labor?
One of the big problem with EV adoption in the US is the US auto manufacturers saw EVs as the next big profit maker for them so they built very expensive cars and now there sitting on dealer lots unsold. Even if Ford manages to bring out a 25k EV it won’t help if the Chinese EVs come to the US at 20k or under.