"We are the best," Chinese EV maker says ahead of push into North America
Summary
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Geely Auto Group, through its luxury brand Zeekr, is preparing to sell cars in North America soon, starting with Canada. This move follows a new trade deal that lowers Canadian tariffs on Chinese EVs, allowing them to compete with U.S. brands like Tesla and GM mainly by offering lower prices.Key Facts
- Geely Auto Group is one of China’s largest EV companies, producing its luxury brand Zeekr in a highly automated factory in Ningbo, China.
- The factory uses artificial intelligence and is 99% automated, with humans mainly monitoring the process.
- Zhao Chunlin, Zeekr’s Vice President of manufacturing, stated that Chinese EVs have become high quality due to strong customer demand in China’s large market.
- Zeekr claims that even Tesla cars made in China are of better quality than those made in the U.S.
- A trade deal between Canada and China signed in January 2024 reduces Canadian tariffs on Chinese EVs from 100% to 6%.
- As a result, Canada will allow the import and sale of 49,000 Chinese EVs in the first year under this deal.
- Chinese EVs have grown quickly in markets like Australia and Europe, gaining significant market shares by offering lower prices.
- The U.S. has not allowed Chinese EVs due to concerns about security and protecting U.S. automakers but might see future collaborations instead of direct competition.
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