A disturbing phenomenon is shaking the automobile industry: “graveyards” of brand-new electric cars are appearing in China. These vehicles, perfectly functional, are left abandoned by the thousands. Discover the underside of this unprecedented situation which calls into question the country's massive electrification strategy.
The Chinese paradox: leader in electric and champion of abandonment
China, the spearhead of electric mobility, faces a paradoxical situation to say the least. The country with the largest number of electric vehicles in the world also finds itself at the top of a much less glorious ranking: that of abandoned electric cars.
This surprising phenomenon gave rise to what we now call “electric car graveyards”. These are huge parking areas where thousands of new, never used, abandoned electric vehicles are piled up. These surreal images raise many questions about the massive electrification strategy carried out by the Chinese government.
Subsidies, the engine of overproduction
To understand the origin of this situation, we must go back to the aggressive subsidy policy implemented by the Chinese government. In its desire to become the world leader in electric mobility, China has put in place a particularly generous financial aid system, not for buyers, but for manufacturers and distributors.
These subsidies were conditional on the achievement of very ambitious production and sales objectives. Faced with these demands, some industry players have found a loophole in the system, leading to a massive overproduction of electric vehicles.
Manufacturers, assured of benefiting from government subsidies, produced many more vehicles than they could sell, knowing that this strategy would remain profitable thanks to state aid. This race for production resulted in a considerable surplus of unsold vehicles.
Microcity: symbol of a failing strategy
The most striking example of this situation is that of the company Microcity. This company took advantage of government subsidies to acquire a fleet of more than 10,000 electric vehicles. These cars were theoretically intended for a shared mobility service in the city of Hangzhou.
However, the reality is quite different. These thousands of vehicles now find themselves abandoned in huge parking lots, without ever having been used. This situation highlights the limits of a poorly managed subsidy policy and the abuses it can cause.
The mystery of white cars
An intriguing detail caught the attention of observers: almost all of the abandoned vehicles are white. This uniformity is not the result of chance. It reveals a cost minimization strategy on the part of manufacturers, aware from the start that these vehicles would probably never be sold.
This is because the white color is generally the cheapest to produce and maintain. By opting for this color, the manufacturers sought to reduce their production costs as much as possible, knowing that these vehicles were destined to remain immobilized.
Environmental and economic consequences
This situation raises serious environmental and economic questions. On the one hand, the mass production of unused vehicles represents a considerable waste of resources and energy. On the other hand, the abandonment of these cars raises the question of their future recycling and the long-term environmental impact.
On the economic level, this phenomenon reveals the limits of a poorly calibrated subsidy policy. While the original intention was to boost the electric car industry, the result has led to market distortions and inefficient allocation of resources.
Towards a questioning of the Chinese model?
This unprecedented situation could well mark a turning point in China's electrification strategy. Chinese authorities now face a dilemma: how to maintain the momentum of the electricity industry while avoiding excess production and waste?
A review of the subsidy system seems inevitable. A balance will need to be found between support for innovation and production, and stricter control mechanisms to avoid abuse. Furthermore, this situation could encourage the development of battery recycling and reuse solutions, thus opening new perspectives for the industry.
The appearance of these “electric car graveyards” in China is a wake-up call for the entire global automobile industry. It shows that the transition to electric mobility must be carried out in a thoughtful and sustainable manner, taking into account the entire value chain, from production to the end of life of vehicles.
This paradoxical situation reminds us that the race for electrification must not be to the detriment of economic and environmental rationality. It invites us to rethink our production and consumption models to build truly sustainable mobility, serving users and respectful of our planet.
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