BYD Makes a Wake Up Call To US Auto Industry With Seagull EV and Mexico Plant

The comments section of a recent article I posted on the Torque News Facebook page about BYD's affordable Seagull EV revealed a sense of unease and worries, among industry insiders and car buyers alike because this vehicle, and vehicles like this may pose a threat to the U.S. auto industry.

According to an article, published at Autoblog, a tiny, low-priced electric car called the Seagull, made by BYD, a Chinese automaker, costs around $12,000 in China and BYD is planning to build a factory in Mexico to avoid tariffs. This has U.S. automakers worried that they won't be able to compete with the Seagull's low price and quality.

As one commenter aptly put it, "Detroit tore down this EV and discovered it's affordable and innovative. Any car company that's not paying attention to them as a competitor is going to be lost when they hit their market."

But there is an opposing view too. "BYD electric cars were everywhere when I visited Thailand last summer. Rode around in many of them being used as rides for Uber/Bolt in Thailand. Perfectly fine cars . Let them open a factory in the USA so we get jobs out of it would be a good compromise," wrote Torque News Facebook follower Eric Kolari.

Another commenter noted, "The Seagull is a fun little car. It reminds me of the old VW Beetle. The $9750 price tag... is about the same as the HP rating... I could see a race series based on these little cars."

But amidst the excitement, concerns about quality, reliability, and safety are also being raised. "I know better than to trust stuff made in China," wrote another commenter. "Chinese EVs are known for going up in flames for no apparent reason," he said. These concerns are valid, but they also highlight the need for the US industry to step up its game.

As another commenter pointed out, "The US auto industry has been complacent for too long... Chinese competitors have caught up and overtaken them". This complacency is precisely what has allowed Chinese EVs to gain such a strong foothold in the global market.

Ford CEO Jim Farley seems to be one of the few industry leaders taking this threat seriously, with his "skunkworks" team designing a new, small EV to keep costs down and quality high. But as one other commenter noted, "The Seagull is a clarion call for the US industry...they need to wake up and start designing and manufacturing EVs that can compete with the likes of BYD."

The comments section is filled with voices urging the US auto industry to adapt and innovate. You know, these things will have to change in some radical ways in order to be able to compete.

The Seagull EV is a wake-up call, a reminder that the status quo is no longer acceptable. Will the US auto industry rise to the challenge, or will they succumb to the looming threat of Chinese EVs? Please, click the red link below to write your comment and join the discussion. The clock is ticking, and only time will tell.

Image source: BYD Newsroom on Seagull EV.

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and Youtube. He has more than a decade of expertise in the automotive industry with a special interest in Tesla and electric vehicles.