China South of the Border
Chery, SAIC-GM, BYD, MG, Great Wall, Mercedes, Hyundai, India, DaVinci
China South of the Border
GM and Ford once dominated Latin American markets. No more. Chinese automakers are taking over fast.
Mexico
• China has surpassed the US as the main supplier of cars to Mexico. Link
• Half of GM’s sales this year are imports from SAIC-GM, its China JV. Link
• BYD started exporting the hot-selling Yuan Plus to Mexico in July. Link
Brazil
• Ford steps away after 100 years. BYD takes over the plant, its first car manufacturing facility outside of Asia. Link
• Great Wall Motors is investing $1.9 billion into Brazil and will start production in May, 2024. Link
Chile & Ecuador & Bolivia
• Chinese cars are now number one in market share. Link
Cuba
The US embassy in Havana - attention taxpayers - is leasing Chinese EVs from the Cuban government. Link
Bottom line: American (and most European) automakers appear to have no answer for China’s low-cost manufacturing advantages – especially on smaller vehicles.
Future EVs, Batteries, Charging
Electrics
Mercedes EV Take-Off. Mercedes’ EV sales in America are jumping, led by the EQS series SUVs and Sedans. Sales in Q2 were up 600% versus 2022. Link
Batteries
Indonesia’s Nickel Moment. Indonesia could soon account for half of the world’s supply of nickel to lithium-ion batteries. Chinese companies control almost all of the mines and most of the refining. For America, it is a question of whether, how and when to get in. Link
Charging
EV Charging is a “No Good, Very Bad Time and Somehow Getting Worse.”Some compare the EV charging wars in the US to the smart phone charging wars. For consumers, that is not good news. Link
New Developments / Milestones
Europe’s EV Leaders in 2023. Of the top 8 best-selling EVs in Europe through H1 this year, two are American, three are German, two are Chinese-owned and one is Italian. There is one Ford and zero GM products in the top 20.
Tesla Model Y - 138,000
Tesla Model 3
Volvo XC40
VW ID.4
VW ID.3
Fiat 500e
Audi Q4e
SAIC MG4 - 31,000
Source: EV-Volumes.
India has surpassed Japan to become the world’s third largest auto market. Indian consumers are expected to buy more than 4 million vehicles this year. The majority are priced under $10,000. EVs account for less than 3% of the total. Link
Southeast Asia EV Update.
• EV sales are now 3.8% of total sales in the region, up from less than 1 percent two years ago. Link
• Thailand accounts for 79% of EVs sold in Southeast Asia.
• Chinese brands led by BYD, Neta and SAIC account for 75% of EVs sales there.
Coming Up This Week. Don’t miss this week’s episode of the Driving With Dunne podcast. My guest will be Jorge Guajardo, former Mexican Ambassador to China. Jorge will share his views on the why and how behind China’s automotive invasion of Mexico. Arriving Thursday.
And…Your Weekly Modicum of Wisdom
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen..” – Leonardo DaVinci
She Test Drives 80 Cars A Year. What’s Her Verdict?
Nicole Wakelin, The Road Reflected
Listen to the Driving With Dunne podcast via Apple, Spotify, Amazon or wherever you take your podcasts.
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