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Ford EV Rival BYD Preparing To Enter Canadian Market: Report

Chinese automaker BYD has entered a number of global markets in recent years – including Europe and Mexico – as it continues its rapid expansion beyond the domestic market. Though it doesn’t currently sell vehicles in the U.S., BYD is still considered a major threat by people like Ford CEO Jim Farley, who recently called the brand’s $10k all-electric Seagull model a bigger problem for the automaker than EV mandates. Now, BYD is seemingly about to enter yet another country in North America, too.

BYD Seagull - Exterior 002 - Side

That country is Canada, according to Automotive News, a development that stems from paperwork filed by BYD-affiliated lobbyists in Ottawa recently. That paperwork seeks to “advise on matters related to the expected market entry of BYD into Canada for the sale of passenger electric vehicles, and the establishment of a new business, and the application of tariffs on EVs.” It’s unclear when, exactly, BYD might be targeting a Canadian launch, but the company has already reportedly met with dealers in that country.

BYD – which overtook Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller last year – could potentially face some roadblocks in Canada, however, as that country recently joined the U.S. and Europe in considering higher tariffs for Chinese EVs and battery materials, among other potential actions. This is due to the belief that such vehicles not only operate on an unfair playing field, but also, over concerns pertaining to national security risks.

BYD Shark - Exterior 001 - Front Three Quarters

BYD is also eyeing Mexico as a possible site for its expansion plans, and as well as Brazil, where it purchased the old Ford Camacari Assembly plant last year. In the Mexican market, BYD recently revealed the all-new Shark pickup, which is a Ford Ranger rival that’s not an EV, but rather, a plug-in hybrid.

We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. They have us surrounded. And it is Tech America’s own fault. By turning cars into insatiable surveillance devices, we made automotive dominance a very compelling proposition for an insecure and authoritarian China that wishes to control world trade and spy on the world. Through vehicles, nearly everyone and everything can be monitored. China will grossly subsidize these vehicles to manipulate the market and drive down the price of EVs and put one in every driveway.

    And it is not like Ford or GM or Tesla are pure as the driven snow. They’ve been phone-ifying vehicles for decades. They gave China the ideas. We got played.

    Reply
    1. And they found the perfect time to do that. During its own engineered pandemic, the other automakers foolishly decided to fake supply shortages (that probably were nowhere near as bad as claimed), raise prices ridiculously and then continue to gouge customers over 4 years later. It’s their own stupid fault and I will have little sympathy.

      Reply
      1. I have no problem watching them burn.

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        1. You will have a problem though when they do dominate the world, and their influence starts creeping into your personal liberties, freedom of speech (because that is not a thing in the mainland), not having any law that sides with you (and sides with a company run by a part member instead) freeing them of any accountability towards you the customer. Which BTW, it’s already starting to happen. I can’t even make a comment criticizing the CCP on GM Authority without it getting flagged as “Spam”. So while you’re not showing me in support of this, I always tell the clueless “America Bad” Party members to “be careful what you wish for.”

          Reply
    2. When Donald Trump resumes control, he’ll shut them down quick. It can’t come soon enough, lest our auto market be decimated by these cheap Chinese electric spy machine death traps. A 100-200% tariff payable in gold/bitcoin should shut them out pretty quick.

      Reply
    3. Oh but don’t you know? America bad China good. I don’t know about you but China on top sounds like a dystopian nightmare for the world.

      Reply
  2. Buy at your own risk… Like buying a German-made car in 1937.

    Reply
    1. More like buying a LADA during the Cold War. Germans always made excellent cars so I wouldn’t even make that comparison.

      Reply
  3. I hope they bring the veh to USA.

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  4. Bring them on. Some stiff competition for all manufactures is good.

    Reply
  5. Every car company has had a scandal ranging from major safety issues to minor (but significant) technical issues: Toyota (unintended acceleration), Ford (Pinto fire deathtrap and Explorer rollover incidents), VW (diesel emissions cheating), GM (ignition key issue with the Cobalt), Honda (J35 engine mounts failure), Chrysler (ZF 8-speed issues, 1st and 2nd gen minivan rear liftgate opening during crash issue, and dreaded 2.9L V6 engine failure due to water pump internally mounted), Hyundai & Kia (recent fire issue and hackability issues), and even Tesla (autopilot issues).

    In all cases, the justice system prevailed and the companies were forced to address these issues free of charge, compensate victims, or compensate them with free repairs through recalls.

    I am really curious, when the time comes and its their turn to be the subject of a scandal, how BYD, a state-party member run car manufacturer, would handle it. And I think I know the answer. Let’s just say, accountability will be treated like a hot potato, the local currency (which starts with a Y) will start flying, and the accusations of Americans being at fault will too. And it will be fought hard to the bitter end like an accusation about a spy balloon. This alone would be reason to not want to buy their cars.

    Reply

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