Europe has tried long and hard to stop Chinese cars at its gates. Mainly by smashing them to bits and putting the results on YouTube. The cars that make EU certification remain unmentioned. This is going to change.
Chinese makers are entering Europe in seriousness. Through Europe’s backdoor, so to speak.
Starting in 2010, ROEWE cars will be up for sale in Poland, says Gasgoo. They are made by SAIC and are based on the Rover technology SAIC had acquired (without paying too much attention to trademark issues). Pol-Mot Holding will be responsible for distribution of the cars. Most likely, the ROEWE 550 and 750 will be sold. Supposedly, one car has already received the homologation critical for sale in the EU. The second one is in the homologation process.
Meanwhile, Martin Motors, the Italian company that fought hard to get a Smart lookalike into Europe, has signed a contract with Czech distributor LUM-ORIS, also as per Gasgoo’s report. Martin/LUM-ORIS will start the sale of Lifan brand in the Czech Republic in the next few days. The Lifan 520 met ECE requirements in 2007, which clears it for sale in EU countries. The Shuanghuan CEO (BMW lookalike) and two commercial vehicles produced by Changhe will probably join the offer in the near future.
Safety standards are not more lax in Eastern Europe; they are all the same in the EU. Rumors are that enforcement of the standards may be a bit laid back in the East. Also, the less-developed countries appear to be more fertile grounds for a Chinese offering.
I cannot see this lasting. Surely, the EU will force member Eastern European countries to adhere to car safety standards? It’s one thing to ignore directives, it’s another to ignore safety laws in which people might die.
Or am I being naive?
Technically some of those cars pass in Western Europe as well but the population in Eastern Europe is not as easily scared by the not brilliant but passable results as the Western European population is. The cars are probably as good as Western offerings of around 10-15 years ago, so not a complete liability.
There are other reasons why Eastern Europe is a better market for the Chinese.
Second hand prices for cars is higher in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe compared to new cars. Gas is cheaper and there are tax issues which hurt sales of cars based on older technology in Western Europe.
Brilliance has been selling cars in EU already few years. Only thing is nobody is buying them. So what’s the fuzz?
By the way Eastern EU countries are not somekind of thir world development “bomb holes” where people drive Ladas and eat potatoes three times a day. Overall living standard is approx at the same level as Western Europe, only government’s social aid and assistance system is weak.
Seen the Lifan 520 here. Fugly.
The 750 is the old Rover 750. Still looks nice. The 550 looks the part. Seen by google images.
China is going to be the death of thee world because of the auto industry.
If even 1/10 of China’s population starts driving, the pollution levels will be ridiculous. Since EV’s still require so much energy to produce, it wouldn’t even help matters if those 1/10 had EV’s.
As far as trade restrictions go, China rips off so many manufacturers designs and turns out such a poor/ safety test failing end product that they will actually endanger our streets.
Compare to other environmental ills of East Europe this isn’t so bad
Well, we here in Chile have been getting chinese cars for a while, and while we don´t have regulation as tough as in america, we are probably on par with eastern europe… we get most of the cars they get, and more.
Those Roewe ones are by far the nicest, they sell under the MG brand. The one on the picture, the 550, gets a 1800cc turbocharged engine, and is about US$22000 which is not that bad for what is a full sized sedan here. The 750, based on the old Rover, still looks nice, and is sold as an MG too.
oh yeah, and some of the other chinese offerings (most of them) are REALLY ugly. Most of them have at least double airbags and whatnot, but just by looking at them you know the airbag makes no difference whatsoever.
China is going to be the death of thee world because of the auto industry.
If even 1/10 of China’s population starts driving, the pollution levels will be ridiculous.
So if there are 800 cars per thousand people in the US, it’s fine. But if there are 100 cars per 1000 in China, it’s the end of the world? Don’t we all strive for everybody in the world to have the same great lifestyle as we do?
And guess what, more than 1/10 of China is already driving, in a way. China had some 168m motor vehicle registrations by the end of September of 2008. That’s anything with an engine, from a scooter through a trike to a giant truck. And guess what, the air is actually getting drastically better, at least in Beijing, where I live. Anything below Euro 4 won’t even be admitted to the city. We have something I thought doesn’t exit anymore: Blue skies, and stars at night.
I think, there is some greenwashing to camouflage an old fear. Namely, that Chinese will use all of “our” oil.
Just don’t breathe when entering the toxic lead painted interior.
It used to be that the kids had to actually chew the lead paint…. Now it’s in the air?
-=============China is going to be the death of thee world because of the auto industry.
If even 1/10 of China’s population starts driving, the pollution levels will be ridiculous.
So if there are 800 cars per thousand people in the US, it’s fine. But if there are 100 cars per 1000 in China, it’s the end of the world? Don’t we all strive for everybody in the world to have the same great lifestyle as we do?============
NO WE DON’T WANT CHINA LIVING THE SAME LIFESTYLE WE DO.
First of all, Americans live a lavish, wasteful lifestyle. We are the largest consumers in the world (buying loads of crap) and we produce less and less each year. All we major in is “services”.
I think its funny you said this because Walmart in Japan is FAILING for this very reason…Asians don’t consume or waste like we do.
When I lived in China I was shocked that most Chinese live on such a small amount of “stuff”. Less shoes than I have, smaller dishes for food and cooking than I have here, smaller rooms, houses, etc.
Then I think about George Carlin who suggested Americans just go out and buy stuff and when their house gets too small, they buy a new house for more stuff to fit in. We create museums in our houses for god’s sakes.
If China was living our wasteful lifestyle, the world would be so polluted and overpopulated it wouldn’t be funny. Same goes for India.
Flashpoint, I agree with you that we do live lavish lives, however arent you the one who was bragging about your S550 in the Lincoln MKT Review?
China is going to be the death of thee world because of the auto industry.
If even 1/10 of China’s population starts driving, the pollution levels will be ridiculous. Since EV’s still require so much energy to produce, it wouldn’t even help matters if those 1/10 had EV’s.
This is assuming ceteris paribus, or all things being equal. Here’s where market forces work its magic. Rising energy costs will keep China (and the rest of the world’s) consumption in check.
I don’t think China [as a whole] can ever live as “lavishly” as Americans live [as we like to present ourselves or imagine ourselves to]. The only way it may be possible is to drive prices down. And by “prices” I mean just prices, not quality. And this applies to products outside of automobiles.
From a moral perspective, it seems wrong to deny 1.3b people the same standard of living that we would like to enjoy. From an economics perspective though, increasing the rate of consumption for 1.3b people has to be very taxing on Mother Earth.
05gt :
“Flashpoint, I agree with you that we do live lavish lives, however arent you the one who was bragging about your S550 in the Lincoln MKT Review?”
Zing!