Led by the automaker BYD, China has established itself as the main car supplier in Mexico. The US worries China could use Mexico as a “back door” to sidestep tariffs and gain footing in the US market.

Foreign investment would be an economic boost for Mexico. The company has claimed that a plant there would create about 10,000 jobs. A Tesla competitor, BYD markets its Dolphin Mini model in Mexico for about 398,800 pesos—about $21,300 dollars—a little more than half the price of the cheapest Tesla model.

  • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    3·
    17 days ago

    Teslas are anomalously bad to start with, so I can’t write that possibility off. I would definitely buy BYD before Tesla just as a consumer.

    Shanghai being better than San Jose seems unlikely, though. America is definitely a lot richer, despite the warts.

    • naturalgasbad@lemmy.caEnglish
      21·
      17 days ago

      Wealth does not necessarily improve quality of life.

      Notably, electricity (among other things) is substantially cheaper in Shanghai.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        2·
        17 days ago

        On an individual level, sure there’s sad rich people, and happy slum refugees. On a population level it makes a huge difference.