Hungarian auto dealer warns EU tariffs on Chinese EVs could reduce sales, raise prices

A car dealer in Hungary has cautioned about the potential consequences of the European Union's vote to impose tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, saying that this move could result in lower sales and increased price burdens for local consumers.

The European Commission announced Friday that it passed a vote to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese battery batter electric vehicles (BEVs), with ten member states backing the tariffs, 12 abstaining from the vote and five voting against the decision.

Hungary was one of the EU members that voted against the tariffs. In the country's capital city Budapest, local car dealer Mark Schiller expressed concerns and criticism over the EU decision.

"For us, it was a very strange thing from the EU to impose a tariff. I personally, it's my own opinion that I don't believe in this. This is just against China, Chinese BEV (battery electric vehicle) makers. I think there will be no benefit in this situation, so it's a bad way of getting hold of things. It's going to be very harmful then towards both economies," he said. Mark Schiller is the Strategic and Marketing Director of the family-owned car business Schiller Auto Family.

In January this year, his company signed a retail agreement with Chinese automaker BYD, becoming BYD's third partner in Hungary.

Schiller said the EU's punitive tariffs will not only influence the company's business, but harm the China-EU relationship.

"For us, it was a very strange thing from the EU to impose a tariff. I personally, it's my own opinion that I don't believe in this. This is just against China, Chinese BEV (battery electric vehicle) makers. I think there will be no benefit in this situation, so it's a bad way of getting hold of things. It's going to be very harmful then towards both economies," said Schiller.

At Schiller's auto store, local customers interested in buying a Chinese EV expressed concerns about rising car prices if the proposed tariffs are implemented.

"It would be more expensive. For a customer, it's not good. For a customer obviously, to buy the cheapest car, that's the best," a customer said.

Hungarian auto dealer warns EU tariffs on Chinese EVs could reduce sales, raise prices

Sao Paulo has embraced the first of 14 five-car trainsets that China's e-vehicle brand BYD is supplying for the city's long-awaited monorail project.

Being plagued by delays, the construction for Sao Paulo's Monorail Gold Line was supposed to be finished for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. According to the government, the monorail will start running in the first half of 2026, more than a decade beyond the original plan.

"Let's see if it finally happens this time. It's already been ten years since it was supposed to be finished. Let's see if it will help the people at last. It would make my commute much easier. Here in Sao Paulo at any time of the day, you'll hit a traffic jam somewhere," said Matheus Brandao, TV camera operator.

All the trains that will service this line are manufactured in China, each of which are composed of five cars with a total capacity of 600 passengers.

Tyler Lee, president of BYD Brazil, said that the latest technologies are duly incorporated into their design.

"For this train, we don't have a driver. Like I said, it's totally automatic. And with the air suspension, passengers will feel comfortable taking this kind of train," he said.

As China continues to emerge in the field of new energy, the Brazilian government is eagerly seeking new cooperation opportunities.

Tarcisio de Freitas, Sao Paulo Governor, highly appraised the impressive performance demonstrated by Chinese companies.

"This opens the door to other investments, as we have the ambition in our government plan to greatly expand the monorail system. Obviously, we want to rely on the expertise and investment of those who do this with excellence, and who do it a lot. So, of course, Chinese companies are very welcomed," said Freitas.

BYD delivers first train of Sao Paulo's monorail line project