The U.S. has used tariffs and security rules to keep Chinese cars off dealer lots. Alphabet’s robotaxi company appears to be buying them by the boatload.
  • finley@lemmy.zip
    101·
    2 months ago

    This isn’t a clever loophole – – this is Trump making sure that only billionaires can profit, and the rest of us are all fucked

    • Fmstrat@lemmy.world
      5·
      2 months ago

      It doesn’t actually seem that way. They’re likely eating the tariff because of the costs of hardware redesign, which I would imagine to cost millions and a lot of testing time.

      If they’re getting a volume discount of 10%, then after tarrif each vehicle is probably cheaper than a whole refab.

    • LillyPip@lemmy.caEnglish
      27·
      2 months ago

      All of the cost, none of the equity. Just as capitalism demands.

      Distributed burden, with the profits for the few.

      What did we do with the railroad barons again? And where’s their privatised cutting-edge tech??

  • TransNeko@lemmy.world
    38·
    2 months ago

    yeah… sure… so very worried about “national security” that security risks can only be used by government employees, big corporations, and in federal buildings but not in private homes… yeah sure… that’s secure. Really feeling the security of the nation here… NOT.

    • RamRabbit@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 months ago

      In this case, corporations have the exact same rules as the everyday man: you can import Chinese EVs for a 127.5% tariff. Waymo is doing exactly that, just as you can.

      The title of the article (that Americans can’t buy Chinese EVs buy Waymo can) is refuted by the very first paragraph of the same article.

  • Coke@lemmy.zipEnglish
    8·
    2 months ago

    Does this have to do with safety regulations or something? Like what is the reasoning behind it? Because I heard these Chinese cars dont have good safety regulations

    • Ariselas@piefed.caEnglish
      17·
      2 months ago

      They are supposed to be as good or better than cars made by the US Big 3. Then once the new sodium ion batteries come out, they will be far safer.

    • Dudewitbow@lemmy.zip
      16·
      2 months ago

      only to some extent, it’s not like the safe models aren’t being blocked. I think for example, the BYD Dolphin was redesigned to meet australian compliance.

      Chinese companies are willing to redesign for saftey, but the government of course has other plans.

      Basically some chinese cars by their direct chinese design, might not pass US safety standards. However china has shown they are willing to modify designs to enter the market. the only reason why they aren’t in the US market is because the government wont let them. Corporate has been using chinese evs (and trucks) and buses, for awhile now.

    • TryingToBeGood@reddthat.com
      3·
      2 months ago

      It has to do with the cars talking to each other and perhaps eavesdropping on other vehicles, etc.

      https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-finalizes-rule-secure-connected-vehicle-supply-chains-foreign-adversary-threats

      Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced a final rule prohibiting certain transactions involving the sale or import of connected vehicles integrating specific pieces of hardware and software, or those components sold separately, with a sufficient nexus to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or Russia.

      BIS and its Office of Information and Communications Technology and Services (OICTS) have found that certain technologies originating from the PRC or Russia present an undue and unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. Today’s action represents the culmination of a months-long regulatory process to design, seek public input on, and ultimately finalize a measure to protect drivers and passengers on American roads.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        4·
        2 months ago

        According to them. Meanwhile we know GM and friends are doing it. (link)

        This is TikTok all over again, accuse China of the stuff American companies are already doing, and selling the data to China anyways. (link)

  • solrize@lemmy.ml
    8·
    2 months ago

    At least til recently, Waymo here in California was using modified Jaguars. IDK if they started out as Jaguar EV’s or if they were ICE cars converted by Waymo. But they are everywhere in SF and also seen in other parts of the region.

    • ramble81@lemmy.zip
      12·
      2 months ago

      They are Jaguar I-Pace EVs. They were natively EV to begin with. Waymo actually purchased large chunks of them through 2026, but with Jaguar basically committing suicide they needed another vehicle to work with.

  • RamRabbit@lemmy.world
    2·
    2 months ago

    Just like Waymo, you pay a 127.5% tariff. Americans can buy Chinese EVs; the title is simply a lie that is refuted by the very first paragraph of the exact same article.

  • Tiral@lemmy.world
    1·
    2 months ago

    I don’t think a single person has actually been to China or understands what it’s actually like beyond tiktoc propaganda.

    You all are crying for shit cheap EVs, then if you get them you’re going to cry that your house burns down and it’s Trunps fault. I would be as happy as the next person if the orange flavored dip shit was gone, but you’ve created a no win situation

    I find it also amazing that people are willing to forego actually paying people enough to have a living so long as they save money. China is a COMMUNIST country, and reguardless how you feel about it, they apress the fuck out of their people.

    • godsammitdam@lemmy.zip
      19·
      2 months ago

      I’m an American. I’ve been multiple times, mostly for work.

      You’re a fucking propagandist stfu. Cause yeah, capitalism is oppressing no one right now. Or blowing their limbs off.

      You stupid fucks can’t realize that those in power regardless of societal or governmental structure are the problem. Authoritarianism is the problem. Does the CCP have problems? Of course. But is American capitalism perfect? Sure as fuck no. Build a better system. Learn from all of them. And the answer will NEVER be capitalism as it requires exploitation and oppression to profit by default.

      No one is more pro-regulation than a capitalist when competition is growing in their market.

      So I repeat, respectfully, shut the fuck up.

    • NιƙƙιDιɱҽʂ@lemmy.world
      11·
      2 months ago

      China was a communist country, long ago. Now, they are communist in name only. And yet America still “apresses” [sic] their people (and the rest of the world) under a capitalist system so what gives?

    • kestrel7_7@lemmy.world
      2·
      2 months ago

      This would hold up better if I could get a non-shitty car made in the USA. Alas…

      Truly, it would be difficult for the Chinese to do a worse job of making cars than the planned obsolescence crap we’ve come up with.