With a joint review of Canada’s free trade agreement with the US and Mexico coming up in 2026
Alright I’ll say it. I hate how pricey cars and transportation currently are and would totally go for a decent middle of the road (no pun intended) EV that costs like $10-20K less than whats currently on offer. Now I know theres a lot of unfair competition and nuanced takes around this topic so someone please tell me why that might not be the best stance to take, I’m trying to be a little more informed.
In a perfect world we would be divesting from car dependency as quickly as possible. Every policy move we make should be made with the intent that less people need to own a car. But no lawmakers actually agree with that position. They are content for us to pave the world and watch it boil.
For me, first and foremost is the fact that Chinese companies don’t have to operate by the same rules here as North American companies have to operate by in China. Until that’s fixed, I have no interest in letting them into our market. And that’s before we get into issues like some of the more valid arguments for a limited amount of protectionism.
Right, but we have ways to require all automakers to build safe vehicles, commonly known as “safety regulations” that apply to both foreign and domestic companies. The same minimum requirements apply to a Toyota built in Woodstock or a VinFast built in Vietnam. That has nothing to do with tariffs, which are just a tax on consumers on foreign imports. This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians and everything to do with protecting big business.
Oh I’m not concerned about the safety and quality aspect. GM, Ford et al have put out plenty of unsafe shitboxes in the past. I’m talking about the fact the outside companies are flat out not allowed to operate in China without forming a partnership with a Chinese company. It’s a simple rule that fuckd things up royally once all the ramifications of that play out.
This has nothing to do with protecting Canadians and everything to do with protecting big business
I think what no politician wants to admit is that car industry is a strategically important industry and has to be protected for geopolitical reasons alone. We need the manufacturing capability to maintain our industrial base as a hedge against any future conflict. (I lump it in with why you need domestic milk and food production, vaccine production, etc. When the going gets tough, you need that.)
That said, I do feel the bailouts from 2009/2010 were total horseshit and these companies got off scot-free. They’ve had ages to prepare to make EVs and squandered it, and now have to be protected by moves like this. We just end up paying for it, either through subsidies (eg. battery plants) or through the inflated prices of EVs.
There are a lot of ethical concerns around Chinese worker treatment, economic concerns around Chinese subsidies driving the price down, privacy concerns around Chinese tech’s tendency to phone home, geopolitical concerns around giving China even more power in our nation…
But honestly, same. Nowadays I can’t get a car at a decent price in a decent time frame, even worse if I want an EV, so what’s the expectation? The auto industry has dropped the ball so hard that China would trivially dominate the EV industry if they were allowed to compete. That’s bad, but it’s so bad because the local industry isn’t even in the ballpark of good enough.
Ya thats where I’m at right now. On one hand I detest the data/privacy nonsense and the unfair subsidies but… on the other I think a fire under these companies asses to innovate and compete is long overdue. Also our EV infrastructure just doesn’t seem like it’s quite there yet. Something has to change because I just don’t think cars are worth what they are asking right now.
It is not just about data/privacy concerns (which are underestimated imo, as China pursues an own agenda with collecting your data through Chinese tech) and ‘unfair’ subsidies, but about gross human rights violations. In short, the cheap Chinese cars are made in concentration camps where people are forced to work under catastrophic conditions.
It’s not the Canadian consumers fault that the North American industry dropped the ball.
America is ramping up their production again and it will very likely be part of the trade agreements to be supportive their endeavor which leave us once again in a rather awkward position.
I’d like to think a competent government would be able to take advantage from both the American and Chinese subsidies, but I have feeling we lose out on the cheap decent Chinese cars while finding ourselves on the losing end of a North American trade agreement.
Caught a lift to an airport in a BYD EV. Impressive vehicle for the money. The established players are worried and with good reason.
The BYD was on par with my own South Korean EV.
Nothing shows true commitment to fighting climate change like blocking sales of EVs.
I know you are being sarcastic, but China does not give two fucks where they source the rare minerals that consist within the batteries they manufacture.
Look up the cobalt mines in Africa. China has essentially reintroduced slavery back into Africa with this.
Suggesting that western manufacturers give any more of a shit about this is laughable.
Just an example of how ridiculous this justification is, Tesla sources raw materials from a Chinese supplier.
They blocked Chinese solar panels years ago. So we have to buy expensive Canadian made panels (which are probably backdoor Chinese panels), or find a supplier that has done an end run by routing panels via SE Asia and tacked on more costs. It’s bullshit.
