The numbers tell a stark tale of changing perceptions. According to the survey conducted for Bloomberg, 53 percent of Canadians say the “Made in China” label has no bearing on their purchase decision. Another 15 percent view Chinese manufacturing as a positive, meaning over two-thirds of the market is now open to the idea. This represents a complete reversal from just two years ago, when 61 percent of Canadians said they would actively avoid a Chinese EV.
If I had to choose between a Chinese or a US car, I’d pick the Chinese one too.
It’s somewhat funny that Canada PM Mark Carney brings a burner phone to his recent China visit and then allows Chinese cars in Canada.
Canadian experts note there are security risks,
[…] “[It’s] a bad idea to allow Chinese vehicles into the Canadian market,” said Brian Kingston, chief executive of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association, during a news conference at the auto show.
Besides being a ‘trade irritant’ that would hamper the success of domestic-made autos, “there’s a range of security and national security related issues,” with Chinese autos, said Kingston. “If a social media platform is considered a threat to Canadians, I find it surprising that a connected vehicle is now even allowed in.”
Ottawa once shared the same worries about privacy. Back in June 2024, former deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland said that cybersecurity was a chief concern as the government weighed 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs to curb the cheap models from flooding the market.
Now, the federal government says the vehicles will have to abide by Canadian security standards to be sold here […]
Funny how? It makes a lot of sense to me. I would even expect that.
Have you seen American EVs? Fucking nightmare boxes funding a Nazi. Canada is making wise choices.
Yeah, thank god there are other countries than the US and China that aren’t governed by dictatorial regimes. We don’t need to fund Washington nor Beijing.
Tough to get through that page with so many ads, but it didn’t seem to answer an important distinction:
Does this mean “Canadians are willing to buy cars manufactured in China by companies that already operate in Canada, like Volvo / Polestar, Mini, and GM.”
Or does it mean “Canadians are willing to buy cars by Chinese companies that don’t yet have a footprint in Canada yet, like BYD or Chery or Zeekr.”
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Well put, I agree. For me it is inexpensive little ‘city cars’ that I’d like to see more of, like the BYD Dolphin Surf hatchback.
