cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/16322892
While the US and EU are putting up barriers to Chinese cars, Australians are buying them at record levels
Probably because we don’t make cars, or anything else. We dig stuff up, send it to China and buy it back in the form of goods.
Sounds like a colony
Asking from not knowing, are there any native Australian car manufacturers?
Obvi native as in from Aus not native as in aboriginal.
Not anymore. The majority of what people drive are Japanese and Korean. However Ford along with VW and some other big EU manufacturers are also very popular. Other American manufacturers are trying hard to break in, but not doing well since American cars offer little, are overpriced, and generally suck compared to all the options from Asia next door. Ford does well because they make cars specifically for countries like us and the rest of APAC.
Without research, I would tie most of this statistic to low-budget commercial fleets and a small few people new to the country from China. I have never seen a non-Chinese person in a Chinese car unless it’s some bash around work ute or truck for a penny pinching business, of which there are more and more. They are very unpopular to individuals. Even if $10K is the budget, everyone would look at the second-hand market instead.
Chinese cars are so fucking good for 10k though. It’s like just strictly a superior product on the low end of the market.
Yeah, I don’t think it’ll be long until they get up to a standard that starts battling their reputation. Happened with Hyundai and Kia over 7-8 years. Asian market is suuuuper competitive though, and APAC nations are spoiled for choice. But if another nation’s got the money to back it, it’s China and more competition is good.
I don’t know how many of them are actually built in Australia, mind, in the same way that many American cars aren’t built here (or are vaguely assembled from parts built elsewhere)
Most of them build track cars and the like. There is certainly no mainstream car manufacturers left.
Now I’m picturing Mad Max cars…
and now I wonder what Mad Max would look like with EVs? Would they fight over batteries?
Holden was the only real one. And a few firms used to produce locally. Then the government didn’t offer any subsidies to keep them on shore. They all shut down and left the country. Now everything is imported. Real shame. They were great pipelines of talent.
They’re good products, and Australia has no vested economic interests in keeping them out. Hardly surprising.
Yeah. They make American cars look bad. Not sure about the European cars though…
Well good for Australians. they’re getting a better deal on goods.
NGL I kinda want a Polestar.
