U.S. home of Asian touring cars

The U.S. built, Chinese EV Touring Car

    It seems not that long ago that we were all talking about our new entry to the EV sports car lineup and how it may possibly make its way into reality.  Fast forward a few years down the road and it seems that Qiantu wasn't just a dream car created to gauge the public's opinion. No, it was intended to be a real vehicle.

   That comes as great news for both the Chinese and American marketplace.  Both will benefit from this great ride as it seems that Qiantu isn’t just another company from China looking to cash in on the green push from the government.  And with its introduction into the world of green sports cars comes the need for a new manufacturing site.  But oddly enough it won’t be China that benefits from the rise of this manufacture as Qiantu has chosen the U.S. to be the home of the Qiantu manufacturing.  And why not as California has so much to offer when it comes to big tech enterprises.

    As you may have noticed already, Qiantu by name does fit nicely into our corporate links layout as we’re in need of some more companies to add to our Q page.  Qoros was getting lonely and it seems no one else wanted to join them.  But now it seems that dream has come true for both of us, as the Qiantu K50 EV touring car is moving forward.
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    Now it may seem odd that Qiantu has chosen the U.S. to build its K50 EV, but when you really look at it, it does make more sense to be a bit closer to your rivals.  California is home to a few automotive tech startups, but it is also home to the one and only Tesla.  And when you want to take on the world of EV’s then you might as well park yourself next to your biggest rival.  This can also help with your talent pool as you can now draw from Tesla’s own backyard. Bad news for them, but good news for Qiantu. 

    Tech isn’t where Qiantu is about to stop though as they can now pull engineers and workers from the newly developed NSX production site as well.  And when you want to compete on the same playing field then you might as well play with the same people. 

   But manufacturing stateside does also help a bit more than just people as Qiantu will now have to meet U.S. safety standards.  This is great news for them as they will have to ensure that their car can hit the American market and meet all of their standards.  Thus, in turn they will have achieved so much more than many of the other failed Chinese firms which promised to come to America.
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    For us it doesn't seem odd as this would be the smartest thing to do if you want to enter the American market.  And like Acura they will not only be utilizing an American manufacturing partner, but also utilizing American manufacturing talent.  Now we all know that America is not the first place you think of when you’re thinking about touring or supercars, as they don't really have any major players in the supercar field.  But when you think about EV technology they are probably the first country you think about as Tesla is usually the first company that comes to mind.  And with that thought you may want to consider how Tesla got their start.  If you don't remember how Tesla got started, then let us jog your memory.

    It was back in 2006 when we first got to meet the EV version of the Lotus Elise and with that came the introduction of what would become the powerhouse in the EV marketplace.  By 2008 Tesla had finally introduced their Roadster the market and to great fan fair was on their way to success.  With the sales from their Roadster, they managed to secure financing for their next model, which would become their bread and butter winner in the market.  And with that bold move, Tesla moved themselves from boutique EV maker, to automotive manufacture.
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   Now why would we bring that up when we are talking about a new EV maker from China.  Well look at how well the others are doing.
 - Nio has only released one model with a second on the way but has still not managed     to make a true name for themselves, as most of us have forgotten about them.
 - Faraday Future is still having financial problems that are plaguing their final release        of the FF 91
 - Lucid Motors still has not pushed through the Air into the mainstream
 - And Lynk & Co. has yet to release their 01 onto the American marketplace

    Are you starting to see a trend here as most of these players have yet to crack the market?  Qiantu is playing it smart with their entry into the touring car market and trying to grow from there.  And as you can clearly see it is a much harder game to play when you enter a main segment of the marketplace.  Sure, the rewards may be greater if you crack, they market, but your chances of cracking that market are a lot smaller.
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   In the end Qiantu had to ask themselves one main question.  Do we want to be like Nio, FF, Lucid and Lynk & Co.  and move directly into a main segment of the marketplace.  Or do we want to play it safe and start small and grow from there.  We are glad that they chose the same path as Tesla as we may get to see more models from them in the future.  If not, they will at least leave a lasting mark on the touring car marketplace as they are one of the original EV touring cars and the first American made Chinese EV as well. 

    So, as we have learned from Tesla, it is easier to enter a small market and grow from there, than to enter a big market and try to be noticed.  Playing in the big pool when you’re a small fry isn't always the best game plan.  Start small and grow from there, it's what Hyundai and Kia did in the American market and look at them now.
 
Everett J.
#AutoLooks, @AutoLooks