EV sales have lagged as of late, and big changes are being made such as Ford announcing a downshift in the production of the F-150 Lightning so it can focus on meeting demand for other vehicles. As the sales continue to stall out, automakers would presumably be looking to take any steps they can to make their EVs more appealing to potential buyers. Low prices are one way to do that, but the China tariff makes that difficult.
Similar tariffs will be applied by the EU with Chinese manufacturers BYD and Geely seeing additional tariffs between 17.4% and 20%, while SAIC will be hit by an additional 38%. These are hefty taxes, but they are still lower than the measures the U.S. took against China. These taxes will make it difficult for China to ever gain a large foothold in both Europe and the U.S. Despite the reputation, some Chinese EV automakers are solid.
“There are successful Chinese EV makers and they make really affordable cars, but if they will be allowed in the U.S. is a question for legislators,” Dr. Mears said.
As it stands right now, one of the most affordable electric cars available in the US is the Nissan Leaf and even that costs close to $30,000. For some people that’s an affordable price, but for others the cheaper Chinese cars could’ve been a real option. If things stay as they are, it’s unlikely we’ll see many Chinese EVs in the states.
