Electric car as a bridge between three “continents”? This is a project of Yasutoshi Nishimura, the Minister of Industry of Japan, who would prepare alliance with the European Union and the United States around the electric car.

According to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, talks could begin at the end of the year to share strategies for raw material supply, procurement assistance and investment around electric vehicles. For its part, Tokyo would be willing to invest up to ¥20,000 billion over 10 years (€125.5 billion).

Europe and China are in conflict

Meanwhile, the “crisis” between Europe and China, which erupted after Brussels launched an investigation into industrial subsidies given by Beijing to boost domestic production of electric cars, is still alive. After about forty days, Great Wall is the first Chinese brand to oppose the European “blockade”.

The brand expressed itself in a document submitted on October 11 to the European Commission: “We need a fair and open trading environment”clarifies the president of the group, Mu Feng, on the company’s Weibo account, while the manufacturer is trying to bring its products to Europe, while also wanting to build a factory there.

Boomerang effect

The investigation, however, worries some of the European industry. Association Clepa, which unites manufacturers of automotive equipment, sounds the alarm: new taxes on Chinese imports could have a boomerang effect.

Doubts center on whether the tariffs will really help Europe produce cheap electric cars, i.e. those famous “less than €25,000” vehicles.

“If you are a small family business and only supply to European manufacturers, your position is clearly in favor of tariffs; But if you’re a multinational company that does 20-30% of its sales in China, and someone imposes tariffs, any retaliatory action could change your mind.”– explains Torsten Mushal, one of the spokespersons of the association that unites manufacturers of automotive equipment.

According to Klepa, the right strategy would be to focus on raw materials, low-cost clean energy and installation of charging stations, all elements that will allow European manufacturers to offer electric cars at more attractive prices. According to them, the increase in customs duties will not significantly affect European brands, except that the prices of Chinese electric cars will be higher.

Are we really going to witness a Chinese “invasion”?

It remains to be seen how this hypothetical alliance between Europe, the United States and Japan materializes, where domestic manufacturers are not, in fact, necessarily ahead (with a few exceptions) compared to Chinese manufacturers. But before we talk about a real “invasion” of Chinese brands, even if their technological progress is quite significant, we still need to have all the tools and the ecosystem to establish ourselves in new markets.

We see this in France, particularly with MG and soon BYD, their implementation model is very similar to that of our “traditional” manufacturers. But before we can talk about a real tidal wave, it will take years, if not decades, for these manufacturers to attract the “big names” of the market, who are also starting an unprecedented energy transition, even if they are currently lagging behind. behind. A delay which, however, does not seem irreparable.

Read also:
• Chinese electric cars: a radical way that Europe has found to prevent the “overflow”
• Europe wants to put obstacles in the way of Chinese electric cars
• According to Volkswagen, China is “two to three years ahead” of electric vehicles