Chinese EVs coming

Why can’t we buy Chinese EVs in NZ?

That is the question posed on an EV owners’ Facebook page.

Well, you can through LDV – a division of SAIC (Shanghai Automobile and Industrial Corporation), the largest automotive manufacturer in China, and represented in New Zealand by Kiwi company Great Lake Motor Distributors.

LDV (formerly known as Leyland-DAF Vehicles, part of the British Motor Corporation’s commercial vehicles division acquired by SAIC in 2009) already has an EV van available in New Zealand, and Haval (China’s Great Wall Motors SUV division) will soon provide electric options under its Ora sub-brand and some plug-in hybrids.

“We should start seeing more Chinese brands come to market here,” GVI Electric general manager Hayden Johnston says. The quality and technology of Chinese EVs is improving rapidly, he adds.

Key reasons New Zealand hasn’t been flooded with Chinese EV imports is because China’s 1.415 billion population absorbs most of the production – and it’s a left-hand drive country.

Vehicles built to meet Chinese domestic standards are often unsuitable for other market standards, Johnston believes. “The focus of Chinese manufacturing tends to be on price rather than quality, so what works for them more often than not won’t work for us.”

A huge EV push has been mounted in China and Johnston says some “incredible looking” cars are being released, with Byton and Aiways among ones to watch. The latter plans to launch its EVs in 2019.

Some overseas reports suggest China plans for total annual sales of two million electric and hybrid vehicles by 2020.

CNBC

says global information services firm JD Power’s Asia Pacific general manager Jacob George reckons the market share of China’s electric vehicles will grow by 40% over the next few years.