Or , hear me out, what if US auto makers stop trying to force overpriced oversized trash on us? Maybe try to compete?
You don’t want a giant ass pickup truck that drives like a tank, takes up 1.5 times the parking space and goes 8 miles on the gallon?
No, I want a light pickup from the 80s or 90s but with a warranty and a full size bed and no back seat. Y’know, something kinda utilitarian. A fucking Ranger is bigger now than an F-150 was in 2000. An F-150 is a goddamn SUV with a worthless 4 foot bed. What the hell is that good for?
FWIW, you can order a V6 regular cab F150 work truck with an 8-foot bed. Still costs $40k, but it exists.
Ranger and Maverick can both haul plywood sheets with a few 2x4 slats in the stamped slots on the side of the bed and some tiedowns.
Electric cars in the US are more expensive mostly due to higher costs of overhead. For example, we have a minimum wage, and China uses forced labor.
Good luck buying anything made in the US for less money than on AliExpress.
Edit: Is this really the same group of people that want US businesses to divest from Israel, defending products made with the slave labor of Uyghurs?
In Xinjiang, the government is the trafficker. Authorities use threats of physical violence, forcible drug intake, physical and sexual abuse, and torture to force detainees to work in adjacent or off-site factories or worksites producing garments, footwear, carpets, yarn, food products, holiday decorations, building materials, extractives, materials for solar power equipment and other renewable energy components, consumer electronics, bedding, hair products, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, face masks, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other goods—and these goods are finding their way into businesses and homes around the world.
https://www.state.gov/forced-labor-in-chinas-xinjiang-region/
Dude, there is just no way on earth that automakers are making razor thin margins on $80,000 F250 extended cab super duty pavement princesses that are basically just minivans in a trenchcoat.
You can buy a Nissan Leaf starting at $28k. It’s made in US, Japan, and Mexico.
Electric cars in the US are more expensive mostly due to higher costs of overhead. For example, we have a minimum wage, and China uses forced labor.
:-/
Is this really the same group of people that want US businesses to divest from Israel, defending products made with the slave labor of Uyghurs?
Americans are just mad that we have a perfectly good exploitable population at home.
I agree. That’s also terrible. They work mostly in farming. If you can avoid these food brands, I suggest you do so.
There are plenty of automobiles manufactured in the US, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the UK that don’t use forced labor. I also recommend supporting those factories instead of China.
Also, your second link about Chinese retirement has nothing to do with Uyghur slave labor.
Do you mean informed?
In Xinjiang, the government is the trafficker. Authorities use threats of physical violence, forcible drug intake, physical and sexual abuse, and torture to force detainees to work in adjacent or off-site factories or worksites producing garments, footwear, carpets, yarn, food products, holiday decorations, building materials, extractives, materials for solar power equipment and other renewable energy components, consumer electronics, bedding, hair products, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment, face masks, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other goods—and these goods are finding their way into businesses and homes around the world.
https://www.state.gov/forced-labor-in-chinas-xinjiang-region/
In other words, the U.S. content of “Made in China” is about 55%. The fact that the U.S. content of Chinese goods is much higher than for imports as a whole is mainly due to higher retail and wholesale margins on consumer electronics and clothing than on most other goods and services.
https://www.frbsf.org/research-and-insights/publications/economic-letter/2011/08/us-made-in-china/
It is simply more economical to use forced labor than to pay minimum wage. It results in lower price points on Chinese branded products, and higher margins on US branded products produced in China. This problem is not exclusive to automotive manufacturing, as illustrated in the above research article.
To be clear on my personal opinion, I’m not recommending US industry over foreign. I drive a Hyundai. I’m specifically speaking against Chinese industry, just as Biden’s tariffs are not applicable to imports aside from China.
