the most innovative things he points out is a funky gear shifter…

It looks like the article is focused on the myriad styles and scopes of new EVs, production of which remains a struggle for the industry at large.

Once the 1980s-era Joint Ventures strategy broke down, a number of independent Chinese automakers began introducing their own models. And the end result appears to be a car industry in China more akin to the pre-mega-merger US Automotive industry.

That doesn’t seem to be because of any production innovation or finding some hidden efficiency that western companies overlooked

The number of small-sized vehicles is notable. American Big Three car companies have all but given up making coups and sedans, in favor of SUVs and trucks. Toyota’s execs aren’t interested in full EV power train vehicles, leaving that market to Hyundai, Nissan, and whatever’s happening at Tesla.

This isn’t radical innovation of the concept car so much as it is radical entrepreneurial in the country where you’d least expect it.

According to Euro NCAP every Chinese car from 2022 to 2024 scored the maximum 5 stars.

https://www.euroncap.com/en/ratings-rewards/latest-safety-ratings/#?selectedMake=0&selectedMakeName=Select a make&selectedModel=0&selectedStar=&includeFullSafetyPackage=true&includeStandardSafetyPackage=true&selectedModelName=All&selectedProtocols=51097,49446,45155&selectedClasses=1202,1199,1201,1196,1205,1203,1198,1179,40250,1197,1204,1180,34736,44997&allClasses=true&allProtocols=false&allDriverAssistanceTechnologies=false&selectedDriverAssistanceTechnologies=&thirdRowFitment=false

Oh but we will.

Be a car enthusist

Discover new kind of foreign car

Geek out over it

Get $200 from that country’s government

Lather, rinse, repeat

Buy a McLaren.