GM is selling a $5,000 electric car in China

Would you like to see this car in the US market?

  • Yes

    Votes: 7 87.5%

  • No

    Votes: 1 12.5%

  • Not sure

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    8
luisHK said:
Yes, who cares about 8 times difference right ?
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Apparently the automakers, thus the car isn't made here in the USA. Care to challenge my summary that the cost of labor is 20 times cheaper in China? I give you a lollipop...

But just to answer your question, I come from the Elon Musk School of Rounding Errors, thus my rough estimate of 50 cents being $4.3 is mousenuts...
 
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That's fine boss, with your maths skills you deserve as big a salary as my chinese maid - which is not much less than what I used to pay in Europe.
And on a second thought more than you deserve.
 
This has nothing to do with labour cost; it has to do with market demand. Regardless where the car is made, WHY wouldn't this car be not available in the USA and would you like to see it being available in the USA? That is the question posed by this thread.
 
The last on this offtopic...

luisHK said:
That's fine boss, with your maths skills
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There was nothing wrong with my math, I used bad data to start out with and I still ended up at the correct conclusion. That takes a genius.... :)

But enough of that, the OP's question is an interesting one, if they are making it cheap in China, why aren't they selling it here in the US?

Slightly relevant but long article:

https://www.wired.com/2016/01/gm-electric-car-chevy-bolt-mary-barra/

Maybe this is the reason?:

" In May 2014, Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne actually asked people not to buy the all-electric version of the Fiat 500, saying, “Every time I sell one, it costs me $14,000.”

It also looks like there is just not great demand:

"Kelley Blue Book senior analyst Karl Brauer says that anything more than 50,000 units a year would be a huge coup. "

Dealerships are also not very interested:

"Among EV enthusiasts, the theory goes that independent dealerships won’t focus on EV sales because they do not require servicing, U’Ren said.

“They make money on the service end and EVs don’t need service. It goes against their model,” U’Ren said."
 
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Apparently nobody read the article, because the answers are in it, why it can not be sold in the USA:

1. The car is small. I mean SMALL, like fitting only 1 fat Americans or maybe 2 skinny ones.
2. It doesn't get EV credit, because it wasn't made here and it doesn't have a 100+ miles range.
3. It has a 96 miles range. So it is a town car at most.
4. Its cost without incentives and subsidies would be probably over 15K.
5. Its motor is 39 HP, slightly more than my garage door opener's.
6. I assume no AC, windows could be manual. (not sure about these, but for that price...)
7. Top speed is not enough for highways, only 61 mph.

So, would you buy an underpowered, tiny toy car for one person for 15K that can't go further than the other side of town and can't hit the highway???

There is your answer.... You might as well buy a moped for 4-5K....
 
That's a cool looking car, looks a bit like the smart car here in the states however the smart car is so overpriced ...so for a $5000 electric car why not....still a bit small though, about 63% of the population wouldn't be able to fit in because of everyone being so overweight....
 
S2007S said:
That's a cool looking car, looks a bit like the smart car here in the states however the smart car is so overpriced ...so for a $5000 electric car why not....still a bit small though, about 63% of the population wouldn't be able to fit in because of everyone being so overweight....
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No views on the market? It is kind of dipping today...
 
Pekelo said:
Apparently nobody read the article, because the answers are in it, why it can not be sold in the USA:

1. The car is small. I mean SMALL, like fitting only 1 fat Americans or maybe 2 skinny ones.
2. It doesn't get EV credit, because it wasn't made here and it doesn't have a 100+ miles range.
3. It has a 96 miles range. So it is a town car at most.
4. Its cost without incentives and subsidies would be probably over 15K.
5. Its motor is 39 HP, slightly more than my garage door opener's.
6. I assume no AC, windows could be manual. (not sure about these, but for that price...)
7. Top speed is not enough for highways, only 61 mph.

So, would you buy an underpowered, tiny toy car for one person for 15K that can't go further than the other side of town and can't hit the highway???

There is your answer.... You might as well buy a moped for 4-5K....
More...

If it won't be wanted in the USA, I doubt it would be wanted in China considering China is LITTERED with cheap mopeds, scooters, electronic bikes and etc... that's sturdy, smaller, easier to maneuver, easier to park and is a fraction of the price of the car even with the subsidies. This car I see is going to be a major loss for GM simply because there is not going to be much demand for it in China and GM don't want to sell it in United States.
 
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