Lei begins this podcast with announcements from the OEMs of record profits in these tough times and the cognitive dissonance of profiting the most during the most challenging times. Tu updates on the current situation on the ground in China with regard to the Covid situation and where the lockdowns are currently taking place and what he thinks will happen with the Beijing auto show that’s scheduled to happen in just over a month’s time.

Tu takes over for Lei to make the announcements this week since Lei was traveling. Tu lists all the cars brands in China that have raised pricing of their vehicles, it’s a long list. Tu highlights a Financial Times deep dive into VW Group’s reliance on the China market. A fascinating piece for those that follow VW Group closely.

Tu and Lei move on to a conversation about recently announced vehicles that’ll soon enter the China market, with a few of them also likely to be exported to a market near you.

Tu and Lei then discuss the recent rumor that Didi is getting int car manufacturing, a Didi Motor Company perhaps and whether either of them thinks it makes sense. 

The topic moves to TuSimple and what looks to be a planned split between their US and China entities. This turns into a broader discussion about the AV sector including what could happen to US/Chinese hardware developers. All indications point to a similar hard look at how they will be treated by each country. 

Tu and Lei close out the pod with a discussion on how the short-term increase in EV pricing may initially scare off US consumers and whether or not that’s a good or bad thing for legacies.