American Influencers Can't Stop Praising Chinese EVs They Can't Buy (theverge.com)
- Reference: 0180208489
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/11/25/1842246/american-influencers-cant-stop-praising-chinese-evs-they-cant-buy
- Source link: https://www.theverge.com/transportation/828155/car-influencer-china-ev-youtube-influencer-pay-play
Mark Greeven, professor at IMD Business School, told The Verge that American influencers still shape opinions across the Western world. "The charm offensive is to work with American influencers about Chinese EV cars because we still have a dominant opinion in the Western world, which is formed by English-speaking influential figures on social media," he said. Several creators told The Verge they have heard rumors of undisclosed payments for positive coverage.
[1] https://www.theverge.com/transportation/828155/car-influencer-china-ev-youtube-influencer-pay-play
For the record (Score:1)
The fastest EV is Chinese [1]https://www.topgear.com/car-ne... [topgear.com] and the a fastest EV around the Nurburgring is also Chinese [2]https://www.topgear.com/car-ne... [topgear.com]
[1] https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/good-lord-yangwang-u9-now-fastest-ev-earth-after-hitting-29354mph
[2] https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/a-1526bhp-chinese-ev-has-smashed-four-door-nurburgring-record
Re:For the record (Score:4, Informative)
> and the a fastest EV around the Nurburgring is also Chinese
"A 1,526bhp Chinese EV has smashed the four-door Nürburgring record*" "*Sort of."
No, it's not.
A car that doesn't qualify for official records has beaten official records. This isn't new- it happens all the time.
That isn't to say it's not bad ass when it happens- but this isn't a production vehicle, and has been stripped to its bones.
If it manages to hold that record after a fully-equipped production run vehicle does it- then you can say what you said.
For now- it's misinformation. They paying you too? It sure would explain a lot.
Re: (Score:2)
Don't know about the Nürburgring.
However, this is from Car and Driver:
[1]https://www.caranddriver.com/n... [caranddriver.com]
"YangWang U9 Track Edition just reached a top speed of 293.54 mph at a test track in Germany" at the ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg track.
In Germany. Not China.
[1] https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a65899841/yangwang-u9-top-speed-record-293-mph/
Re: (Score:2)
To elaborate on what damnorgonian said, those cars are all lighter than the 2000lb (I think) minimum to really qualify for a record.
Re: (Score:2)
> The fastest EV is Chinese [1]https://www.topgear.com/car-ne... [topgear.com] and the a fastest EV around the Nurburgring is also Chinese [2]https://www.topgear.com/car-ne... [topgear.com]
When I read this and saw the link was for Top Gear, I immediately heard "in the wooooorld" in Clarkson's voice! This gave me a laugh which I needed today. Thanks!!!
[1] https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/good-lord-yangwang-u9-now-fastest-ev-earth-after-hitting-29354mph
[2] https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/a-1526bhp-chinese-ev-has-smashed-four-door-nurburgring-record
Americans Are So Easy (Score:1)
Just fall backwards, mouth open.
The thumbnails make themselves (Score:2)
Because of the low price. Put a shocked face and title it "This amazing EV is only $23,000!!!"
This works because there are not equivalent US/EU/Japan/Korea cars in the same price ranges, I can watch influence reviews of all the $50-80k EV's from those countries all day long but they won't have the same effect because I wouldn't be buying those anyway. Now this cheap Chinese EV, if I could I might consider it. It's very effective and a self inflicted problem for the US.
Re: (Score:2)
Self-inflicted problem, or protection against dumping?
Re: (Score:2)
They sell for that price in countries where there is no existing automotive industry to try to overwhelm, they sell at that price (or lower) in China. There really is no evidence of dumping, just specious claims from Detroit.
Re: (Score:2)
My wife and I bought a used 2024 Mini Cooper EV just last weekend, for roughly that amount. It seems well-built and is very fun to drive. However it is only useful for driving around town because its range is only 120 miles. Technologically this is clearly out of date. I couldn't help but think that if not for trade restrictions we could be paying the same for a new car with more advanced batteries and motors. In fact the Mini Cooper EV, the 2025 model with almost double the range, is not available in t
Re: (Score:2)
Yup, ain't our 'Free Trade' system great?
No One Mentions (Score:1, Insightful)
I keep seeing all the stories and reviews talking you the greatness of BYD. They gush about how wonderful BYD is and how it's just tariffs and import restrictions that keep them out of the U.S. But no one ever talks about the build quality or, more importantly, the safety standards. Does BYD even meet U.S. safety requirements?
I ask because I travel a bit and I have driven a couple of different BYD models. Holy shit it's amazing that those those egg shells don't burst into pieces. They are cheaply made, flim
Re:No One Mentions (Score:4, Interesting)
> But, let me see the crash test results on those.
I'd pay to see them do that with influencers inside.
Re: No One Mentions (Score:4, Insightful)
[1] they do well enough in the European crash tests [insideevs.com]
[1] https://insideevs.com/news/765522/chinese-cars-safety-rating-evs/
Re: (Score:2)
US crash tests are deliberately engineered to favor our overweight road tanks.
Re: (Score:2)
> US crash tests are deliberately engineered to favor our overweight road tanks.,/quote>
> So is physics.
Re: (Score:2)
Their "sandwich" batteries kinda suck. The interior cells don't get cooled properly and are prone to swelling. Individual cells can't be serviced, so if one cell goes bad, you need to replace the entire battery. Apparently replacement batteries are very, very expensive.
American? Influencers (Score:5, Insightful)
Are we sure they're American? 'Cause elsewhere... [1]Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Trolls [thedailybeast.com] via new X account location information.
Google: [2]X location feature [google.com]
[1] https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-influencers-accidentally-unmasked-as-foreign-actors/
[2] https://www.google.com/search?q=X+location+feature
I see (Score:1)
Now let's see Chinese Influencers talking about non Chinese products in a positive way.
Oh, wait... never mind. They'd be barred for not having the appropriate "credentials". Unlike the US counterparts.
I wonder if the US influencers even care that they're useful idiots? Are they unaware, or do they just not care because of the clicks they get? They certainly live up to the whole "they'll sell us the rope we hang them with" belief.
Re: (Score:2)
Our corporate executives already sold them the rope as well as the nails and lumber for the scaffold decades ago.
Are we sure they are 'American' influencers? (Score:1)
The recent Twitter/X location enablement showed that many 'influencers' were not where or what they claimed to be.
[1]https://legalinsurrection.com/... [legalinsurrection.com]
[2]https://x.com/EndWokeness/stat... [x.com]
[3]https://x.com/AbujomaaGaza/sta... [x.com]
[4]https://x.com/Anarseldain/stat... [x.com]
[5]https://x.com/capeandcowell/st... [x.com]
[6]https://x.com/EFischberger/sta... [x.com]
[1] https://legalinsurrection.com/2025/11/foreign-fake-maga-anti-israel-accounts-exposed-in-x-location-disclosure/
[2] https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/1992469215023092027
[3] https://x.com/AbujomaaGaza/status/1990966706643349633
[4] https://x.com/Anarseldain/status/1992414997218308338
[5] https://x.com/capeandcowell/status/1992371684503060489
[6] https://x.com/EFischberger/status/1992189277678264758
That's useful information. (Score:1)
I mean, it lets me know who not to watch. "Oh, you let a murderous Communist Dictatorship fly you over to be propagandized? Thanks for the heads-up, burn in hell."
Not that I've ever watched a "car influencer". Or, to my knowledge, any video from someone labeled as an "influencer". Why would I? That's little more than the contemporary term for a "shill". I don't much care for ads generally, why would I want a long-form ad from some random jackass with a cell phone?
First hand knowledge (Score:3)
I've been to China a few times in the last few years. I've been in plenty of Chinese EV taxis or "Didi da che" (their version of Uber). Yes. They are good. Ask a cab driver how the car has been for the last 2-3 years, and they have positive comments. Trust me, the cab drivers will bitch about anything they don't like - from government corruption to speed cameras to the long waits at the airport. After 2-3 years of heavy use, the interiors of those taxis are generally in impressively good shape. They hold up. Some of the interiors would hold their own against a Mercedes E class. Same with exterior fit and finish. Take the badges off, and it is difficult to tell the difference next to a new Audi.
Anything for money (Score:3)
Amazing what people will say for money.
I'm not commenting on the quality of the cars simply the conflict of interest.
Re: (Score:2)
While I'm sure you are right that USA car makers are likely doing that same thing, that link was not a great example. At least they are honest after the click bait head line.
> So when Consumer Reports recently backtracked on a Tesla Model 3 review, which criticised the Model 3’s braking as being substandard we wondered if Tesla, aka, Elon Musk twisted a few arms.
>
> ...
>
> So did Tesla try to buy positive feedback from a truly independent review source? The answer is no
Tesla do get a lot of hit jobs from media, particularly automotive media, because they refuse to pay for adverts. It does seem to have died down in recent times as most people now know the pros and cons of a Tesla, so the FUD is less effective and hurts their credibility.
Re: (Score:2)
> It does seem to have died down in recent times as most people now know the pros and cons of a Tesla, so the FUD is less effective and hurts their credibility.
It's more likely that it died down because Musk effectively poisoned the brand in the eyes of the company's target audience - few people care about Tesla anymore.
Re: (Score:3)
The biggest pro for a Tesla used to be the charging network & Elon.
Now the charging network is open to many other EVs and the biggest con is Elon.
Re: (Score:2)
> The biggest pro for a Tesla used to be the charging network & Elon. Now the charging network is open to many other EVs and the biggest con is Elon .
I love a good double entendre.
Re: (Score:2)
Wouldn't it be cheaper and more ethical just to fly them to a country nearby (or even China) and try them out first-hand?
Re: (Score:2)
They're influencers. "Conflict of interest" isn't an ethical problem, it's a lifestyle.
From what I've heard from reliable sources, though, Chinese EVs are apparently are good quality for a cheap price. I don't have personal experience of this, though.