Chinese EV, costing $11,000 new, coming to Europe, US, says officials
Robert Besser
22 Apr 2023, 15:39 GMT+10
- During this week's Shanghai Auto Show, China's largest electric vehicle maker, BYD, unveiled an electric car known as the Seagull
- The car has a range of more than 186 miles and a starting price of some $11,000, a quarter of the cost of most EVs in the European market.
- Chinese companies will begin a "more aggressive push" to sell entry-level EVs outside China
SHANGHAI, China: During this week's Shanghai Auto Show, China's largest electric vehicle maker, BYD, unveiled an electric car known as the Seagull, with a range of more than 186 miles and a starting price of some $11,000, a quarter of the cost of most EVs in the European market.
In a note to investors, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said, "The Seagull is another manifestation of the aggressive deflationary pressures coming from (Chinese) automakers."
Chinese companies will begin a "more aggressive push" to sell entry-level EVs outside China, he added.
Tesla has cut the prices of its EVs to drive demand, prompting other automakers, including in China, to follow suit.
More Chinese EVs manufactured by BYD and its rivals will be headed to Europe, Southeast Asia and other overseas markets, threatening established automakers, according to executives and analysts.
"I think an attractive car for Chinese consumers will be an attractive car for a European consumer," said Patrick Koller, chief executive of French auto supplier Faurecia, as quoted by Reuters.
"Because of their fantastic competitive advantage, Chinese automakers could look to sell one million cars per year in Europe, equivalent to 8 percent of the market last year," he added.
This week, Chinese premium EV maker Nio, which competes against luxury brands such as BMW, said it is evaluating the US market and will launch a new, more affordable EV brand with its first target market Europe.
"If the overall user experience we can provide to European users is better somehow, we can establish our competitiveness. We can get our fair share," said the company's president, Qin Lihong.
Zeekr, a premium EV brand held by China's Geely, said it will be active in most European markets by 2026.
In addition, between 2020 and 2022, exports of Chinese cars rose four-fold to more than two million vehicles, with BYD's exports rising four-fold last year at 56,000 vehicles, led by its Yuan Plus EV.
BYD has not announced export plans for the Seagull, which is priced below what is now the best selling EV in China, the BYD Dolphin, which is priced from $17,000 in China and will be available in Europe beginning in the fourth quarter.
During this week's Shanghai Auto Show, China's largest electric vehicle maker, BYD, unveiled an electric car known as the Seagull
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