With astonishing 100% import tariffs on Chinese EVs, the U.S. government goes face-to-face with China in its trade war. But also the EU considers additional tariffs to protect its local car industry. The main argument is the strong governmental support for EVs in China that distorts international price competition.

However, as we already commented here, Chinese EVs are technologically superior to their Western counterparts. A recent individual report from the Beijing Auto Show highlights the gap. While Western OEMs experience issues with the concept of “software-defined vehicles” and their EV technology, China exhibits sustained technological advancements with high-resolution screens, easy-to-navigate UX, car comfort, electric driving range, and more. This makes up for the West’s outdated superior “clearance” manufacturing.

To develop the software car experience, Chinese OEMs are partnering up with the local tech giants. For instance, the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance of Huawei allows traditional OEMs to effectively leap into the software-defined vehicle space. Huawei provides the car manufacturers with intelligent software and the necessary hardware. In contrast, as we reported, the Western players are still struggling with the future role of Apple in their cars. VW.os and MB.os are still planned to be run (mostly) by the car companies themselves.

The personal report verifies other statements and the numbers – China lost its preference for Western car models. The domestic players gain traction. Their EVs have a faster time-to-market and provide a better digital experience. With an ever-growing domestic market, Chinese players will profit from scale effects and a steeper learning curve in key value drivers. At the same time, the EU and USA are about to protect their ICEs and avoid strong regulatory pushes towards electrification. By that, they dodge the competition instead of facing it. 

 To close with a direct quote from the report:

“The delta of quality, connectedness, and value between the Velite 6 and any of the equivalent of the mid-tier Chinese EV vehicles I had experienced that day, was startling.”

 

 Read the full article on Insideevs.com