The China Cars

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There is a sleeping auto giant who is well known among Nigerian car dealers. Its name is China and it is starting to wake up and the world of automobile manufacturing is starting to take notice. Like Japan decades ago, China is moving into the car industry and is poised to be the next Asian giant on the highways. American automakers in the past few years made serious headway in the People’s Republic of China, and now China is looking carefully at the American market as well as others, including those who buy and sell cars in Nigeria.

Among the models that may soon be seen include the Brilliance BS4, the BYD (Build Your Dreams) F3/F3R, and the Chengfeng Liebao CS6. Great Wall Motors is one of China’s automakers and is moving ahead with production of small cars to complement the line of SUVs it already is making. People perceive China as being a fairly insular country, but Great Walls has sold its products in the Australian market and a factory has been opened in Bulgaria. It may only be a matter of time before Great Wall Motors, like Honda 30 odd years ago, will have a factory buiilding a product in the United States, and take a serious market share in Nigerian auto sales.

The Chinese understand the importance of being green, and a number of electric cars made in China, including the Chery Riich M1 are electric cars. The Chery Riich M1is interesting in that charging time takes approximately 6 to 8 hours and it has a top speed of 120 km/h. It has a fast mode charging time of 30 minutes for 80% with a range of 120 – 150 km. Other electric Chinese cars include the JAC J3 EV (iev), the SAIC Roewe E50, and the Shanghai GM Springo EV (Chevy Sail EV). Given the media stories about the troubles China has with carbon emissions and industrial air pollution, it’s refreshing to see that the automobile industry has a serious commitment to leaving as small a carbon footprint as possible on the planet.



Mass introduction of Chinese models on international markets may still be a few years in the future for those looking to buy a car. The waters are still being tested in the United States to see if there’s a strong interest and there is good reason to be cautious. The last thing China wants is a Yugo disaster and Nigerian car dealers are sensitive to that possibility. Moreover, there still are a few quality bugs to be worked out. China still has to meet the standards that are set by the competition to avoid a crash that could possibly jeopardize the entire reputation of Chinese auto manufacturing.

But improvements have been made and are continuing to be made as Chinese fine tune the products to be offered to the general public. Other automobile manufacturers should not take this possible new competition lightly. They laughed at the Japanese when Toyota and Honda models came to the showcase windows in the United States, and now the American auto manufacturers are scrambling to try to regain market share. The Chinese could be the next wave of the Asian auto invasion that may include cheap cars for sale in Nigeria, requiring other automakers step up their respective games to keep pace.

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