{"id":32459,"date":"2023-01-13T08:39:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-13T00:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carsome.my\/news\/item\/why-are-china-evs-so-popular-in-malaysia"},"modified":"2023-05-09T10:43:05","modified_gmt":"2023-05-09T02:43:05","slug":"why-are-china-evs-so-popular-in-malaysia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carsome.my\/news\/item\/why-are-china-evs-so-popular-in-malaysia","title":{"rendered":"The Rise Of Chinese Made Cars In Malaysia and Around the World"},"content":{"rendered":"

They hit like thunder and strike like lightning. Chinese branded cars seem to appear out of nowhere and begin to sell like <\/span>hotcakes in Malaysia<\/span><\/a><\/span> ever since we entered the recovery phase of the pandemic. If you have been keeping up with the auto industry locally and internationally, China has been on a roll exporting quality cars that nowadays even rival European, Korean and Japanese-made ones. The Made-in-China jokes seem to age like milk as the quality of their vehicles is silencing naysayers worldwide. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Clockwise, from top left:
Changan CS55, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Mclaren 570GT, KDC Regola<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How and where did all these quality cars from China come from? A long time ago, the likes of BYD and the sorts were making <\/span>knock-off branded cars<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/span> Back in 2006, Italy claimed their fourth World Cup title, news about our beloved crocodile hunter was impaled by a stingray shook the world and BYD was copying Mercedes, Ford, and Toyotas. Now? BYD Auto has become the <\/span>largest EV Company in China<\/span><\/a><\/span> and has set its eyes on dethroning Tesla as the leading global brand for EVs. This begs the question, how did China EVs <\/span>quickly take over the world<\/span><\/a>?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Humble Beginnings\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"ChinaThe early 2000s was like a fever dream. The Goth aesthetic was at an all-time high, spiky, bleached hair was popular and it was cool to play Limp Bizkit and My Chemical Romance. Cars from the 2000s, on the other hand, had a rough ride. America and Japan were recovering due to the 1998 Financial Crisis while the Koreans were steadily climbing up with cheap economy cars. Enter China, a sleeping giant that was slowly awakened by the flow of foreign currency into the country.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

With a massive population, cheap currency, and labor, it logically drew American and European capitalists to it like a moth to the flame. China soon experienced a huge economic boom from the number of business opportunities as the West opened up to them. Everyone and I mean everyone, down to their parents and grandparents became rich. So what do you do when everyone gets rich? You buy something luxurious to compensate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Read More: <\/span>AC Vs DC Charging: How to Charge Your EV in Malaysia<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

The Strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n

To set up the stage, China has a huge import tariff on Continental Cars with a rate of <\/span>25% <\/span><\/a><\/span>throughout the country. Even when you are rich, a lot of buyers would hesitate here to pay a hefty sum in the form of taxes. So, what do you do when the demand for a luxurious item is at an all-time high but you refuse or could not afford to pay the price for it? Enter the market of copycat cars.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Copy at first?<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"China
If you don’t appreciate me at my worst…..<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

China\u2019s car industry isn\u2019t that old. However, in a mere 10-20 years, they went from a joke to a global player. It\u2019s easy to criticize China for <\/span>copying designs<\/span><\/a><\/span> and features in their early days but bear in mind, many well-established brands have a copycat past before being able to hold off on their own. Imitation is a form of flattery, as they say. Another kicker for the trend of copycat cars making waves in China is that their policymakers wanted to ensure that the Mainland Chinese people stick to domestically produced cars as a form of patriotic support to the Communist Party.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"China
You don’t deserve me at my best.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Furthermore, there is an advantage in producing copycat cars. Why create something new when you have the capability to blatantly copy and produce cars from other brands with no repercussions? Many brands have tried and failed to sue Chinese Car Manufacturers on copyright claims due to <\/span>loopholes in China\u2019s laws<\/span><\/span><\/a>. Although the practice is uncommon now in today\u2019s market, copying the designs of other brands is how the Chinese Auto Industry got its head start.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 – 20 Years Head Start<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"China
While the Polestar 1 is not an EV, its quality and performance made it popular in the automotive industry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When the rest of the world was focused on producing petrol cars and toying with hybrid engines, China was already setting its eyes on <\/span>electric cars<\/span><\/a><\/span> after a few years of unsuccessfully dabbling into the petrol-engine market. In addition, the transition from petrol engines to electric simply made sense during the time \u2013 why break your back building a car that has to adhere to strict global exhaust emissions and safety standards when you can build one that only requires one aspect in mind?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The perception of Made-in-China products is not going to help boost its image either. China knew their cars would flop if they decided to go toe-to-toe with already established Continental, American, Japanese and Korean brands in the international market. Why attempt to level the playing field when you can create <\/span>one on your own<\/span><\/a><\/span>? <\/span><\/p>\n