North volt Skelleffea Sweden files for bankruptcy

[Dustydog]

A very sad day for Europe. The last major EV battery manufacturer fails. It has echoes of the British battery maker who failed last year. The tragedy and one often forgotten is the batteries are not just about cars. Solar farms and storage farms need these batteries.
Looks like , as usual we will become even more dependant upon products from the East which as many have said are not necessarily top quality. And I expect prices will rise and the extent of “Green” production will be lost on our remaining distant markets😥
I wonder if the closures at VW Germany have influenced this failure?

 

[otherclive]

That’s not good news. Wonder what drove them downhill, perhaps could not compete on price, or users preferred alternative sources. The output from China is driving prices down given the scale of Chinese production. For cars Chinese batteries can be top quality just look at how BYD have driven the technology forwards. But there are other European battery manufacturers and storage isn’t the same as auto traction.

 

[Dustydog]

That’s not good news. Wonder what drove them downhill, perhaps could not compete on price, or users preferred alternative sources. The output from China is driving prices down given the scale of Chinese production. For cars Chinese batteries can be top quality just look at how BYD have driven the technology forwards. But there are other European battery manufacturers and storage isn’t the same as auto traction.

I’d never heard of BYD until 18 months ago. Polestar Tesla Volvo yes. I recall numerous posts decrying the performance and quality build of Chinese batteries even those in DIY EBikes. I know no one who owns /drives a BYD.
If the Chinese car is today’s Hyundai , Kia or Skoda I may be interested.
But why are the USA and other EUs putting high tariffs on these eastern cars that may not have the same level of green integrity that some may desire?

 

[Jcloughie]

I’d never heard of BYD until 18 months ago. Polestar Tesla Volvo yes. I recall numerous posts decrying the performance and quality build of Chinese batteries even those in DIY EBikes. I know no one who owns /drives a BYD.
If the Chinese car is today’s Hyundai , Kia or Skoda I may be interested.
But why are the USA and other EUs putting high tariffs on these eastern cars that may not have the same level of green integrity that some may desire?

Perhaps we, in the west, apply double standards. We raise our H&S and reduce our emissions which increase our manufacturing costs. While complaining that some other countries fail to do the same. Yet we are content to buy cheaper goods from those countries.


John

 

[Dustydog]

Perhaps we, in the west, apply double standards. We raise our H&S and reduce our emissions which increase our manufacturing costs. While complaining that some other countries fail to do the same. Yet we are content to buy cheaper goods from those countries.


John

More like the UK today than the West. Herr Scholtz has decently started reopening his fossil,fuel,power stations. Temporarily but with his countrymen’s best interest at heart, Gentky bit by bit. Rome wasn’t built in a day.Double standard hypocrisy. Don’t wind me up .😢

 

[otherclive]

I’d never heard of BYD until 18 months ago. Polestar Tesla Volvo yes. I recall numerous posts decrying the performance and quality build of Chinese batteries even those in DIY EBikes. I know no one who owns /drives a BYD.
If the Chinese car is today’s Hyundai , Kia or Skoda I may be interested.
But why are the USA and other EUs putting high tariffs on these eastern cars that may not have the same level of green integrity that some may desire?

The tarrifs being mooted are because both the EU and USA consider Chinese cars to be unfair competition that have received government subsidies hence undercutting home produced vehicles. Nothing to do specifically with quality or green credentials.
BYD even sells EV batteries like its BYD Blade battery to other automakers, including Tesla, Toyota, Ford, and Kia.

 

[Buckman]

But why are the USA and other EUs putting high tariffs on these eastern cars that may not have the same level of green integrity that some may desire?

One of the reasons could be to protect manufacturers in their country and to protect employment.

For example, Britain and many other countries imposed heavy sanctions on Rhodesia and also the Beira patrol to prevent oil reaching Rhodesia. However the economy thrived and the Rhodesian pound and the then the dollar became stronger than the sterling pound.

A gallon of petrol was cheaper in Rhodesia than in Britain in the seventies although there were oil sanctions in place.. Unemployment also dropped and Rhodesia started exporting goods to neighbouring countries.

It does seem that tariffs do work protecting the economy of a country that is imposing them. After all the EU is never wrong!

 

[otherclive]

One of the reasons could be to protect manufacturers in their country and to protect employment.

For example, Britain and many other countries imposed heavy sanctions on Rhodesia and also the Beira patrol to prevent oil reaching Rhodesia. However the economy thrived and the Rhodesian pound and the then the dollar became stronger than the sterling pound.

A gallon of petrol was cheaper in Rhodesia than in Britain in the seventies although there were oil sanctions in place.. Unemployment also dropped and Rhodesia started exporting goods to neighbouring countries.

It does seem that tariffs do work protecting the economy of a country that is imposing them. After all the EU is never wrong!

Sanctions haven’t really had any effect on a regime pursuing its objectives. The citizens may be affected but not the regime. Examples being SA, Rhodesia, NK, Iran and latterly Russia.

 

[Buckman]

Sanctions haven’t really had any effect on a regime pursuing its objectives. The citizens may be affected but not the regime. Examples being SA, Rhodesia, NK, Iran and latterly Russia.

I agree that initially we as citizens were affected by sanctions until we started manufacturing our own goods from mundane articles to major goods like cars i.e. Datsun, Alfa BMW etc.

Where I worked in Rhodesia we manufactured TVs and also built two way radios for the services plus a host of other goods for the security services. As said unemployment dropped and all the people were better off due to job opportunities.

Another example was South Africa which also had heavy sanctions at a later date and the manufacturing industry created a lot of employment. The economy was strong. Sanctions do not work which Russia has proved over and over again and still trading with the UK. Tariffs would be very similar to sanctions and there are always work arounds as money talks.