Episode #135 - BYD Moving Up the Charts, Foreign Legacies Chose to Enter China, Tesla Selling Online in China
Oct 3, 2023
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BYD surpasses Ford to become the 4th best-selling automotive brand. Misconceptions about foreign legacies entering China market. Challenges for automakers in software development. Tesla to sell vehicles online in China. Leading figures in 2024. Competition and strategies in Chinese automotive market.
Chinese automaker BYD surpassed Ford in sales, signaling the increasing competition from Chinese brands.
Legacy automakers need to recognize the urgency to catch up with the advancements in the Chinese EV market.
Deep dives
UAW Strike and Ford's Partnership with CATL
The podcast discusses the ongoing UAW strike and its impact on the Ford CATL partnership. With articles peeling back the layers of the onion, it delves into how American and European automakers arrived at this point. Furthermore, it highlights the concern surrounding Ford's partnership with CATL and the potential jeopardy it faces due to the UAW strike. The discussion also touches on BYD surpassing Ford in sales and market cap, emphasizing the need for legacy automakers to recognize the growing competition from Chinese brands.
EU Commissioner's Statements and German Legacy Automakers
The podcast explores the statements made by the EU Commission's EVP, touching on the EU's investigations into EV subsidies and concerns of potential harm to the EU industry. The hosts discuss the contradiction between claiming no protectionistic policy while highlighting the risk of injury. They share their skepticism about the politicians' remarks and point out that European automakers have largely benefited from the Chinese market. The discussion also reflects on the challenges faced by German legacy automakers, particularly Mercedes and their conservative approach in the face of rapid EV advancements.
Neil's Sales Performance and Legacy Automaker Competition
In this segment, the podcast focuses on Neil's impressive sales performance and its rise in market share. Neil's growth has caused it to move up to the fourth spot among global automakers by surpassing Ford. The hosts highlight Neil's expanding market presence and potential to further distance itself from traditional automakers. They emphasize the need for legacy automakers to realize the competitive pressure they face and the urgency to catch up to the advancements in the Chinese EV market.
Evergrande Crisis and Chinese Retail Strategy
Lastly, the podcast touches on the Evergrande crisis, a major Chinese real estate company facing financial troubles. The hosts discuss the potential impact on the Chinese economy, particularly the risks it poses to the EV sector. Additionally, they highlight the entry of JD.com, an e-commerce platform, into the automotive retail market. This move indicates the shifting retail strategy of automakers in China, with Tesla joining platforms like JD.com and Alibaba's T-Mall. The discussion emphasizes the need for automakers to adapt to the changing market dynamics and leverage online platforms to reach a wider consumer base.
This week's podcast begins with BYD jumping Ford to become the 4th best-selling automotive brand in the world for the month of July which should be a wake-up call to Ford management, if they've not been woken up yet.
Tu jumps on his soapbox to explain how the narrative about the foreign legacies entering the China market is incorrect and does his best to set the record straight about the real risks & rewards for the legacies that did decide to enter decades ago.
Their chat briefly revisits the Merc NIO collaboration and why it's folly for the automakers to think that they can become really good at SW development without some help. Tu emphasizes that good is one thing, but to be able to compete with Apple, Google, Amazon and the Chinese EV & tech companies is on an entirely different level.
Tu gives his take on who to look out for in 2024 for both good and bad reasons.
The podcast ends with Tu and Lei discussing the Tesla announcement that they will begin to sell their vehicles on e-commerce platforms in China in order to expand their reach and Tu talks about who is better positioned in the US to lead the EV transition.
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