Japanese association dismantles Chinese cars and is amazed

E-Mobility E-Mobility: Japanese Association Dismantles Chinese Electric Cars, Revealing Surprising Insights

2024-11-08 From Henrik Bork* 3 min Reading Time

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Several electric vehicles (EVs) from manufacturers including BYD, Nio, and Tesla were dismantled in Japan. The participants aimed to discover how Chinese companies manage to produce high-quality EVs at such low costs. What did they discover?

A BYD Atto 3 was taken apart into its component parts in a Japanese gymnasium. (Bild: BYD) — A BYD Atto 3 was taken apart into its component parts in a Japanese gymnasium.
(Bild: BYD)

The Japanese disassembled a Chinese electric vehicle and were astonished. “How can it be produced so cheaply?” participants wondered after inspecting every component of BYD’s Atto 3. With such quality at a low price, they questioned how Japan’s auto industry could possibly compete.

The public teardown, an industry event where vehicles are disassembled for analysis, took place in October in an old gymnasium in Gifu Prefecture. Over 90,000 parts from 16 different EVs were laid out, including an ET5 from Nio and a Tesla Model Y, alongside the Atto 3.

Thousands of spectators, many from Japanese auto suppliers, attended to gain insights. The event was organized by the Chubu Bureau of Economy, Trade, and Industry, covering the industrial city of Nagoya, where Toyota and other manufacturers are based. Visitors sought answers to a question troubling both Japanese and German suppliers: How do Chinese companies produce such high-quality EVs at such low costs? They were not disappointed.

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