BYD Seal U electric vehicle was unveiled at the IAA Mobility 2023 International Auto Show in Munich, Germany on September 6, 2023.
Leonhard Simon | Getty Images News | Getty Images
PARIS – Chinese electric car makers are pushing for expansion into Europe even as politicians raise the possibility of steep tariffs on cars in the world’s second-largest economy.
Nioh A showroom opened this week in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, while Xpeng The G9 and G6 sport utility vehicles were launched in France last week. Xpeng Motors also demonstrated a vehicle at the VivaTech conference in Paris, while BYD One of its vehicles was also shown.
The public marketing campaign comes amid an ongoing investigation by the European Commission, the European Union’s executive arm, into subsidies to Chinese electric car makers. The results of the investigation could lead to the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports.
The United States has already taken such a step, with the Biden administration this week imposing 100% tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports.
Chinese electric car makers have been aggressively expanding overseas, hoping to challenge Elon Musk Tesla And achieved a leading position internationally, ahead of established car manufacturers.
BYD and other companies have expressed concerns about cutthroat pricing of cars. BYD has a small all-electric hatchback called “Seagull” with a starting price of only 69,800 yuan, or about less than $10,000. The ability of Chinese companies to launch cheap cars could put pressure on established automakers as they may not be able to match discounted prices.
China’s electric vehicle industry has boomed for years thanks to incentives and support from the Chinese government, which has attracted the attention of politicians in Europe and the United States
When asked by CNBC this week about possible tariffs from the EU, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire would not confirm that such measures were on the way but said his goal was to “protect our industry and ensure that we are safe on the international stage.” Fair competition.” site. “
However, not all electric vehicle manufacturers welcome the tariffs. Tesla’s Musk said that he does not support the imposition of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles.
“Neither Tesla nor I asked for these tariffs,” Musk said in response to a question from CNBC reporter Karen Tso during a question and answer session at the VivaTech conference on Thursday.
“I was actually surprised when they were announced,” he added, referring to the U.S.’s 100% import tax. Earlier this year, Musk warned that without trade barriers, Chinese electric vehicle companies would “destroy” overseas competitors.
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