this post was submitted on 25 May 2024
194 points (98.0% liked)

Futurology

1757 readers
259 users here now

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 18 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 29 points 5 months ago (4 children)

The US has imposed 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, and the EU is considering increasing its tariffs. I'm sympathetic to the worker/industry protection argument, but many people will look at decent EVs being sold in China for $15,000 & feel they are being cheated.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Chinese products should be banned in general. They are produced with literal slaves and sold as a net loose because they want to destroy the competition.

That the company's here are deliberately making shit is another story and they should be severely punished for that.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Don't forget...majority wouldn't also use an operating system designed by China, but they have no issues payi g for the same thing in a car with multiple cameras driving around.

People are really starting to lose their minds with these EVs and China..

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Well local companies refuse to sell us small cars. What are we supposed to do?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I dunno, I bought a small car in the last 12..zero issues in finding one or paying for it.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago
[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

The car can absolutely kill you btw... Like they even hacked a tesla and could remote control it.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

net loose

really?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I haven't had time to look into detail, but are the tariffs for complete vehicles only, or for parts (e.g. batteries) too? Any decent links or blogs (preferably not news sites) to get a neutral overview?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Yes it affects parts too, at least batteries. Stifling electric car production isn't enough, ebikes get caught in the crossfire too.

https://arstechnica.com/?p=2026997

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

So, from a linked article to the one you sent, it looks like batteries themselves are included in the tarrifs

https://www.wired.com/story/new-ev-china-tariffs-biden/

Electric vehicle batteries and battery components will also be subject to new tariffs—Chinese lithium-ion battery tariffs rise from 7.5 percent to 25 percent, and rates for Chinese critical minerals, including manganese and cobalt, will move from 0 percent to 25 percent.

But from the link you sent, for ebikes it appears only their batteries are included and complete bikes are not clearly defined (which I would assume to be not explicitly included at this stage)?

In a written statement, Angela Perez, a spokesperson for the USTR, said that e-bike batteries imported from China on their own will be subject to new tariffs of 25 percent in 2026, up from 7.5 percent.

But it’s unclear whether imported complete e-bikes, as well as other cycling products including children’s bicycles and bicycle trailers, might be affected by new US trade policies. These products have technically been subject to 25 percent tariffs since the Trump administration. But US trade officials have consistently used exclusions to waive tariffs for many of those cycling products. The latest round of exclusions are set to expire at the end of this month.

[–] buzz86us 1 points 5 months ago

How do they expect an EV transition with 80% of the companies building them under tariff, and the ones people can afford also under tariff. You need to get product in the hands of the consumer.. I propose that since no US makers are in the under $20k MSRP range for EV then we should relax tariffs on vehicles in that price range. This will get product into consumer hands, keep Chinese car prices down, and ensure GM, and such profits from their nasty huge SUV and trucks.

[–] asdfasdfasdf 1 points 5 months ago

No, slavery and dealing with oppressive totalitarian regimes is never okay.

[–] rayyy 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Delaying EV transition only helps China, a lot.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Haven't they learn anything from Kodak and Sony from the transition to digital camera?

Kodak, a Fortune 500 company, developed one of the first digital camera but refuse to shift away from traditional film business, leading to their downfall.

Sony manufacture the best mobile camera sensor in the early days of smartphone, but refuse to use it in their own smartphone, purposely make their phone take lower quality picture because they afraid it would hurt DSLR sales.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Well, they weren’t wrong on the hurting DSLR sales…

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 months ago

Huh? An industry that has a century or more of R&D is trying to milk every ounce out of their existing workstreams and infrastructure before adopting a new standard?

Who is surprised by this

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Yeah Japan lagging pretty far behind on this front, but honestly given the population centers and GDPs of countries around the world it's surprising that the USA and German market shares are as big as they are. Personally, I've been pretty ambivalent about the potential of Volkswagen in this market, I hope they eventually overtake Tesla.