Why Detroit won't let China into our car market.

Discussion in 'EV (Electric Vehicle) Discussion' started by BiomedO1, Apr 5, 2026 at 2:39 PM.

  1. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,191
    2,187
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    BYD is a vertically integrated car producer much like Henry Ford was when he built the Model-T.Their battery blade 2.0 allows for 10 minute recharges and their solid state battery is currently undergoing testing. Most of our infrastructure doesn't support DC fast charging.


    We need to watch Canada, to see how this plays out; since BYD factories will only employ around 1600 workers and their top of the line cars are going to be priced around $60K.
     
    #1 BiomedO1, Apr 5, 2026 at 2:39 PM
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    114,706
    52,407
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    watching Canada is fine, but they don't have any domestic car manufacturers. if china played fair, I wouldn't have any problem, but you have to keep the playing field level.
    I am also concerned about future lost of domestic industrial production, just like I am about food, pharmaceutical and other critical production for when the ship hits the fan
     
    #2 bisco, Apr 5, 2026 at 3:19 PM
  3. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,191
    2,187
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    We can't do industrial production because the incentives aren't there. We "job out" everything and tariff the raw materials required to produce something. That's why production has moved to Canada and Mexico. IMHO; getting manufacturing jobs back here is a pipe dream. We can only get assembly jobs; a different less skilled set. It would require 10+ years of committed funding to just get us started again - that's assuming they will zero out the tariffs on the raw materials needed to build it.
     
    #3 BiomedO1, Apr 5, 2026 at 5:16 PM
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    114,706
    52,407
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I agree that we won't bring any manufacturing back, and we don't have the labor force anyway.
    so let's hang on to what's left.
     
    #4 bisco, Apr 5, 2026 at 8:22 PM
  5. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    21,368
    8,935
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    From what online articles say, byd is notorious for having zero battery buffers to get the most out of its range. Yes they use a chemistry that means it's not as fatal if it were regular lithium ion, but still, time will tell.
     
    #5 hill, Apr 5, 2026 at 9:42 PM
  6. notspam3

    notspam3 Member

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2025
    97
    53
    0
    Location:
    Toronto
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XSE Premium
    Canada needs to do what Australia did. Stop providing corporate welfare to the auto industry. Unprofitable companies need to be allowed to die. North American car companies are hurting because their products suck.
     
    #6 notspam3, Apr 6, 2026 at 8:05 AM
    hill likes this.
  7. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    114,706
    52,407
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    they're also at the mercy of the unions
     
    #7 bisco, Apr 6, 2026 at 1:45 PM
  8. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    21,368
    8,935
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Funny how that works, peeps wanting a living wage & then blaming them for high prices. Oh that dichotomy. It's never how the Fed Reserve is allowed to pump more zeros Into The Ledger.
     
    #8 hill, Apr 6, 2026 at 3:08 PM
    BiomedO1 likes this.
  9. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    114,706
    52,407
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    But it does make competing internationally more difficult
     
    #9 bisco, Apr 6, 2026 at 4:35 PM
    Merkey likes this.
  10. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,191
    2,187
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Another reason why we're falling behind.
     
    #10 BiomedO1, Apr 7, 2026 at 8:44 PM
  11. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,191
    2,187
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Unions usually doesn't happen unless management mistreats the majority of their employees. Union's power in this country is on a downward trajectory. Mainly because management has been kinder to employees and laws has been passed for basic worker's rights - but we are seeing more encroachment into individual rights; so I believe that the pendulum will be swinging in the opposite direction, in the near future.

    You can easily find articles on how Starbucks was able to keep unionization out. IMHO; They are one of the kinder and more employee friendly corporations out there. So I believe unions are more of a scrape-goat for poor corporate management and lack of innovation.o_O:( A common theme, as illustrated above.
     
    #11 BiomedO1, Apr 8, 2026 at 11:39 AM
  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2005
    21,368
    8,935
    54
    Location:
    Montana & Nashville, TN
    Vehicle:
    2018 Chevy Volt
    Model:
    Premium
    Having worked for decades - forced to be part of union Millwrights & forced to be in bar associations - both overstepped their boundaries on several occasions. The greatest victory was during California Republican governor Pete Wilson's term. Bar dues, in today's currency would be WAY north of $1,000. Most of it was going to special interests, so attorneys formed a class action under the US Constitution's freedom of Association clause. No one should have to pay for junk that they are opposed to.
    iirc - our dues went down to something like under $45. LOL. It stayed that way until the bar nice person'n could ascertain what small part actually went legitimately to the administration of the system.
     
    #12 hill, Apr 8, 2026 at 12:20 PM
    BiomedO1 likes this.
  13. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    4,191
    2,187
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Yep; a similar thing happened in our shop, around that same time-frame. We were allowed to opt-out/redirect a large portion of our dues; so we don't have feed the slime-ball lobbyist we didn't believe in. I redirected mine to local community charities, that I could monitor and see the direct results, and encouraged my coworkers to do the same. It was an uphill slog at first; for those charities to get the proper paperwork in to make them eligible, easier if they were already getting some state funding. City and county funded charities required more paperwork on their part.
     
    #13 BiomedO1, Apr 8, 2026 at 1:08 PM
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2026 at 1:14 PM
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)