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Ford's China partner planning to sell in U.S. in 2020
Ford Motor Co.'s newest Chinese partner, Zotye Automobile, is preparing to launch at least two SUVs in the Blue Oval's backyard.
The relatively small Chinese automaker Zotye Automobile International Co. is partnering with California-based HAAH Automotive Holdings to look beyond its home market and form a new sales distribution company in the United States known as Zotye USA (pronounced ZOH-tay) — a tie-up that would sell direct competitors to some of Ford's most lucrative SUVs.
"We're facing a new reality where the Chinese domestic market is slowing for the first time in recent memory," said Michael Dunne, CEO of Hong Kong-based ZoZo Go, a firm that advises automakers on the Chinese market. "Now that things have gone soft, automakers are finding themselves in a situation where they have to export and find new markets. Zotye is possibly the first, but they won't be the last."
Also at MarketWatch and CNET.
(Score: 3, Touché) by suburbanitemediocrity on Thursday November 15 2018, @05:16PM (1 child)
Remember when the same was true with Japanese automakers?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday November 15 2018, @06:55PM
Why, yes, I do. Per Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan [wikipedia.org] Nissan/Datsun produced it's first car(s) in 1914. Started export to USA in the late 1950s and were not recognized as making reasonable quality cars (subjectively) until about 1970 with the 510 sedan (we had one in the family) and the 240Z sports car.
With few US regulations in the 1960s, the Japanese could "learn on the job".
China didn't start until ~20 years later https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_industry_in_China [wikipedia.org] and made mostly trucks, "As late as 1985, the country produced a total of only 5,200 cars." No question the Chinese are coming on like gangbusters in terms of production quantity, but quality and an understanding of the requirements of the USA market takes a little longer. If you want to buy a high quality car in China these days, I hear that you buy an import, or foreign brand made in China (like Buick).
Are you ready to buy a battery electric car from China? Will you worry about a battery fire burning down your garage/house?? The smart importer/dealer will either carry insurance for this unfortunate situation or self-insure and quietly pay off this kind of disaster.