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.
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.”
I am a Canadian willing to pretend to want to buy a Chinese company’s car in order to force competition from our existing manufacturers.
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.