Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio’s founder called for openness in a rare speech in the United States, where politicians have been seeking to further restrict China’s access to the world’s second-largest auto market.
He cited Tesla’s success in China, where billionaire Elon Musk’s automaker has sold 1.36 million EVs in the past three years, adding its presence boosted EV penetration and energized the industry. “However, we do not expect China to adopt policies to protect domestic players because we also see the other side of the coin, where openness will ultimately benefit industries and sustainability, and make the best companies even better.”
A European Union is investigating Chinese EV makers such as BYD, Geely and SAIC could lead to tariffs over the subsidies.