(Ford CEO: China’s EV Costs, Tech, and Quality “Far Superior” to the West – MishTalk)
“Their cost, their quality of their vehicles is far superior to what I see in the West,” Farley said. “We are in a global competition with China, and it’s not just EVs.”
Ford found that Chinese EVs integrate with technology seamlessly. Drivers get in the car and their phone pairs automatically, and an AI companion equivalent to ChatGPT handles everything from navigation to entertainment. The vehicles also have facial recognition that knows which seat someone is in and adjusts media preferences.
The Western manufacturers do not have that at any price.
Given that both BYD and Tesla are manufacturing in China, with the same labour costs and similar public subsidies, the explanation for BYD’s lower manufacturing costs is all about manufacturing process, product design, and vertical integration. BYD just straightforwardly sets up cheaper manufacturing processes