By Jeffrey A. Newman Esq. JeffNewmanlaw.com
BYD, China’s top electric car maker does not manufacture or sell its electric cars in the United States, although BYD has operated here for over a decade, making and selling electric buses, trucks and fleet vehicles. BYD is sold over 4.27 million vehicles in 2024 and is considered far ahead of US auto makers in terms of its battery and other technology and efficiency of manufacturing, as well as pricing.
Its advanced plat form extends the range of its EV’s to 2,100 kilometers and its prices are lower than most cars made here. EV production lines of BYD are almost completely free of human workers. Mechatronic systems move chassis around and robotic arms work in synchronization to assemble even the most intricate components.
Current U.S. trade policies impose steep tariffs on Chinese EVs and components. As a result BYD does not make or sell its products here. China has become a global leader in lithium-ion battery production. Six of the world’s top 10 battery manufacturing companies are headquartered in the country. China accounted for 77% of the world’s total battery manufacturing capacity in 2022. Poland and the United States each produced just 6% of the world’s capacity. They are not sold in the U.S. and our battery production is technologically behind the Chinese batter technology.
What if the U.S. were to allow BYD and other Chinese companies to sell in the U.S. provided they manufactured the cars here and in partnership with a U.S. car maker and with IP sharing. Essentially we would be doing what China has done to us for decades. The potential benefits would include technology transfer to us allowing us to compete and learn new methods of EV propduction and supply chain management, particularly in batteries. U.S. firms would become more cost efficient. The profits would be diluted but America needs time and the will to catch up and the profit sharing might be worth it long run. China might benefit and this could open the door for a less adversarial relationship with the U.S.
Jeffrey Newman is a whistleblower lawyer representing doctors, nurses and therapists who have become whistleblowers reporting Medicare and Medicaid fraud in False Claims Act (Qui Tam) cases. He also represents whistleblowers in tariff fraud cases and military contract fraud cases. also a frequent writer on issues relating to events affecting the world economy. Jeff can be reached at Jeff@JeffNewmanLaw.com or at 617-823-3217
