Electric Cars In Los Angeles: Chinese Carmaker Byd Co. Setting Up Shop In LA

Chinese electric carmaker BYD Co. is opening its North American headquarters in Los Angeles a hub that officials promise will bring dozens of jobs to the struggling local economy and will serve as a sales and research hub.

[Electric Vehicles]

The future is here!

[Mike]

At only $12K a car, they will definitely sell.

[Mata Faka]

Bring Your Dollars

[Yes]

I will definitely buy one for myself!

[Mars]

Don't understand why Chinese businesses all seem to choose the cheap way to sell.

I'd have charged a premium for a niche product with confidence of quality and design.

[RayH]

Mars wrote:

Don't understand why Chinese businesses all seem to choose the cheap way to sell.
I'd have charged a premium for a niche product with confidence of quality and design.

They're selling in the U.S. during a down economy.

[Toyota]

Mars wrote:

Don't understand why Chinese businesses all seem to choose the cheap way to sell.
I'd have charged a premium for a niche product with confidence of quality and design.

The Chinese have made a great deal of money by producing items as inexpensively as possible, and then undercutting their competition. The American public often seems to prefer purchasing items for the lowest price, with quality taking a back seat. Chinese vehicles have come up somewhat in quality, but still can not compare to the quality of Japanese vehicles. Still, many American buyers will opt for them due to their low price advantage.

[Mars]

RayH wrote:

<quoted text>
They're selling in the U.S. during a down economy.

Wish BYD all the success in US market!

They're also here in Oman, however with both the petrol price and the public awareness of green environment being so low, I think it'll take BYD some time to build their market here in the Gulf region.

[Mars]

Toyota wrote:

<quoted text> The Chinese have made a great deal of money by producing items as inexpensively as possible, and then undercutting their competition. The American public often seems to prefer purchasing items for the lowest price, with quality taking a back seat. Chinese vehicles have come up somewhat in quality, but still can not compare to the quality of Japanese vehicles. Still, many American buyers will opt for them due to their low price advantage.

Your explanation makes sense to me in this case. But then it leads to a question as to why then so many Americans are crying about "Chinese junk" if that is their choice of low price over quality, even though there're also quality Chinese products?

Coming back to cars, I personally prefer and trust the quality of German cars.

[Yes]

I definitely will buy one for myself!

[Fatboy]

Mike wrote:

At only $12K a car, they will definitely sell.

$12K eh?Who told you that?The Tooth Fairy?
B.Y.Ds hybrid F3DM is priced at $22K in...CHINA!!
B.Y.Ds e6 E.V will be priced at $35K in the U.S....with subsidies!!

Why would the Americans want these cars when the CHINESE themselves dont want them?!...Just a thought!
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2011-0...

[Toyota]

Mars wrote:

<quoted text>
Your explanation makes sense to me in this case. But then it leads to a question as to why then so many Americans are crying about "Chinese junk" if that is their choice of low price over quality, even though there're also quality Chinese products?
Coming back to cars, I personally prefer and trust the quality of German cars.

Americans complain about "Chinese junk", because they expect that they will get good quality even though they are paying a rock bottom price. You usually get what you pay for. By the way, Toyota and other Japanese made cars are consistently ranked tops in quality.

[Mars]

Toyota wrote:

<quoted text> Americans complain about "Chinese junk", because they expect that they will get good quality even though they are paying a rock bottom price. You usually get what you pay for. By the way, Toyota and other Japanese made cars are consistently ranked tops in quality.

I never questioned about the quality of Japanese cars until the recalls happened in 2009-2010. It's the design that's not necessarily to my taste. I would not hesitate to buy a Japan made camera though.

"As of January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. Approximately 1.7 million vehicles are subject to both." - Wikipedia

[Toyota]

Fatboy wrote:

<quoted text>
$12K eh?Who told you that?The Tooth Fairy?
B.Y.Ds hybrid F3DM is priced at $22K in...CHINA!!
B.Y.Ds e6 E.V will be priced at $35K in the U.S....with subsidies!!
Why would the Americans want these cars when the CHINESE themselves dont want them?!...Just a thought!
http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/epaper/2011-0...

BYD electric vehicle division will artificially decrease the selling price to gain a foothold in the American marketplace. Accounting for subsidies, their electric cars will sell for around $12K in the US.

[Toyota]

Mars wrote:

<quoted text>
I never questioned about the quality of Japanese cars until the recalls happened in 2009-2010. It's the design that's not necessarily to my taste. I would not hesitate to buy a Japan made camera though.
"As of January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. Approximately 1.7 million vehicles are subject to both." - Wikipedia

True that Japanese automakers are not perfect, but we are still ranked tops in quality.

[Snowflake]

Not any more, more people are buying GMs and Fords than Toyota.

[Fatboy]

Toyota wrote:

<quoted text> BYD electric vehicle division will artificially decrease the selling price to gain a foothold in the American marketplace. Accounting for subsidies, their electric cars will sell for around $12K in the US.

But for crying out LOUD!!
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-c...

[Fatboy]

Toyota wrote:

<quoted text> True that Japanese automakers are not perfect, but we are still ranked tops in quality.

Plastic interior,poor comfort and bland design...no WONDER Toyotas sales are dropping in Europe!

Agreed though with your quality claims.

[Duped Tax Payer]

For all we know, the owners might be a US company.

[SonOfTC]

Mars wrote:

<quoted text>
Your explanation makes sense to me in this case. But then it leads to a question as to why then so many Americans are crying about "Chinese junk" if that is their choice of low price over quality, even though there're also quality Chinese products?
Coming back to cars, I personally prefer and trust the quality of German cars.

It's nothing more than the "walmart Syndrome". Places such as Walmart (and older companies like Sears, etc.) Prided themselves on offering good products at a very competetive price. They offered American made goods; often of a major manufacturer with only a different nametag. Americans got used to this and became accustomed to getting products at a discounted rate.

But then, lo and behold, IMPORTED goods started to flood into the country that were cheaper in price (and in quality). Americans had become fixated on low prices ONLY, and quality faded from the scene when it became necessary to stock cheap imported junk to keep customers.

Concurrent to this, the cost of manufacturing goods in the U.S. skyrocketed with the cost of labor and government regulations on manufacturing and emmissions. What then happens? The marketplace dictated that "low-cost" was first and foremost. So places like Walmart (who USED to buy a majority of their stock from American manufacturers) shifted to stocking their shelves with cheap cr@p made in China and other third world countries with no environmental laws and rock bottom labor costs. Viola! The destruction of American manufacturing was complete!

Now, the companies formerly making the goods for Walmart and their ilk went out of business, throwing the employees into the street. Now Walmart had created a "sufdom" of economically depressed and underemployed people that could only afford to shop there because the prices are so low.

Applying the same pricipals to the Chinese electric car manufacturer that is coming to town, no one will invest mega-bucks in a Honda or other electric or hybrid car as long as they can get a $12,000 cheap piece of cr@p made by the Chinese. And where is the money going to go? It's back to China, not America.

So that's the short story on why stuff like this is bad for the US: Buy Chinese and kill an American job.