• Welcome to Elio Owners! Join today, registration is easy!

    You can register using your Google, Facebook, or Twitter account, just click here.

Chinese Automobiles Are Coming To Showrooms Near You Sooner Than You Think...

johnsnownw

Elio Addict
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
473
Reaction score
435
Location
Minnesota
Going to take a while to get the American public to buy into Chinese automobiles. The very people that they'll have to win over (lower/middle income) are those that tend to prioritize "Made in USA" for large public purchases. They won't be able to compete in the premium vehicle market unless they continue to purchase other companies (Volvo) and continue to build them outside of China.

I don't particularly care about purchasing American made products, as much as I prioritize not purchasing Chinese made goods. Until China can get a handle on their domestic manufacturing quality, without foreign oversight, and stop their labor abuses, I'll continue to avoid PRC manufactured goods as much as reasonably possible. For example, we recently needed a new french press, but wanted all SS. Couldn't find anything that wasn't manufactured in China, so I decided to purchase a porcelain pour-over system designed and manufactured in Germany instead.

Anyway, I'm not the target demographic, and I have no interest in putting "America first," but even I would only purchase a Chinese made vehicle if no other options existed.
 

RSchneider

Elio Addict
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
2,792
Reaction score
1,912
Location
Hellertown, PA
Since I deal with Chinese companies and spend lots of time there, I can tell you I think many underestimate their abilities and look at the future. For the car industry I bet they will push low cost EV’s. Since they do it for their home market, the US is a ripe market. I’m starting to wonder if the cheap EV market in the US will go the route of the lightbulb industry. The Chinese were 5 years ahead of the curve on LED and thus the US industry suffered.
 

Tre'

Elio Addict
Joined
Sep 13, 2014
Messages
105
Reaction score
153
I have owned a lot of motorcycles. One recent one was Chinese. It worked well and was of decent quality.
I am old enough to remember when Honda came to the US with motorcycles and cars. Most treated it like a joke. Surprise!
 

RSchneider

Elio Addict
Joined
Jan 6, 2017
Messages
2,792
Reaction score
1,912
Location
Hellertown, PA
Here's something to remember. Since western companies operate in China and use them for parts and even manufacture there, the Chinese have learned what level of quality they need to reach for various markets. The belief is that Chinese items are junk when we know that can be the case yet not for everything. We are all old enough when Japanese products were junk and for the youngsters, Korean products were junk. As we all know, not the case today. If a product is made in japan, it's considered the opposite as to what it was many years ago. Thing is, the Chinese know this and have learned through all of the other products they make, they can make high quality ones. In the automotive industry, they know this and won't be making that garbage Chinese stuff we think they make. They will be coming with a business plan that will work. just like the Koreans. They didn't start off with $50K cars. Same for the Japanese.
 

mkiker2089

Elio Addict
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Messages
243
Reaction score
130
Location
North Carolina
I have owned a lot of motorcycles. One recent one was Chinese. It worked well and was of decent quality.
I am old enough to remember when Honda came to the US with motorcycles and cars. Most treated it like a joke. Surprise!
I thought that it was mostly just racism making people think that. I do know that early Honda cars were very plain but I've always thought it was demonizing them from WW2 that made people mistrust them.

I do know for a fact that Korean cars were poop when they came over. Kia tried a major takeover but the cars were terrible. An extreme warranty, even a buy one get one deal couldn't save them. Years later they came back but only after learning their lessons and waiting it out long enough for people to forget. Hyndai and Kia are the same company by the way and both have the same history basically.
 

RUCRAYZE

Elio Addict
Joined
Aug 17, 2014
Messages
5,103
Reaction score
8,735
Location
On Vashon Island
I thought that it was mostly just racism making people think that. I do know that early Honda cars were very plain but I've always thought it was demonizing them from WW2 that made people mistrust them.

I do know for a fact that Korean cars were poop when they came over. Kia tried a major takeover but the cars were terrible. An extreme warranty, even a buy one get one deal couldn't save them. Years later they came back but only after learning their lessons and waiting it out long enough for people to forget. Hyndai and Kia are the same company by the way and both have the same history basically.
Lest we forget Daewoo, made a good, but very plain vehicle, then was absorbed by an American company. Chevy?
 
Top Bottom