A low cost, fast charging electric vehicle is gaining popularity in China. Called the Seagull, the Chinese manufacturer BYD claims it has a range of up to 250 miles and base models start at $10,700 in China. According to Vox, Americans can’t quite get a hold of them in the U.S. due to an ultranationalist trade policy meant to keep BYD’s products out.
If you’re looking for more context on this matter, please consider John Helveston, an assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the George Washington University. Helveston is interested in understanding the factors that shape technological change, with a particular focus on transitioning to more sustainable and energy-saving technologies. Within this broader category, he studies consumer preferences and market demand for new technologies as well as relationships between innovation, industry structure, and technology policy. He has explored these themes in the context of China’s rapidly developing electric vehicle industry.
Helveston has also published research on various topics related to EVs, including one study on what EV buyers valued in the car-buying process as well as another report on EV mileage, which found the current generation of EV owners drive far fewer miles than owners of gas vehicles, translating to lower emissions savings from EVs.
In a recent interview with Vox on EV development among the U.S and China, Helveston said:
Realistically, Helveston argues, BYD might not sell something like the Seagull in the US because it’s smaller than most cars Americans buy. They’d probably build plants in the US instead, or its free-trade zone partners Canada and Mexico, to build vehicles tailored for Americans. “If you’re going to really enter a market, you have to make it locally,” Helveston explains. “US automakers like GM sell and make millions of cars in China to sell in China.” BYD would do the same. Indeed, it’s already reportedly scouting sites for factories in Mexico.
If you would like to speak with Professor Helveston, please contact GW Senior Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
-GW-
