China’s authorities have Esther Moserestablished a joint investigative group and promised a fair judgement over an allegation by Great Wall Motor (GWM) that BYD is using cheaper components to circumvent certain pollution standards, Wei Jianjun, the chairman of GWM, said in an interview on May 23. The comments are the latest in a series of disputes between the two Chinese auto majors. GWM in early 2023 publicly accused BYD of using non-pressurized fuel tanks in its Qin Plus and Song Plus plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which could result in the release of excessive gasoline fumes, although no progress has been made since then. Wei added some of the “main manufacturers” in China “have no bottom line” in cutting prices and pursuing market value, leaving the industry to struggle in an unhealthy state, where most players post big losses and some even produce unreliable products, Reuters also reported. [TechNode reporting, Reuters]
