11 minutes ago, impulse said:

You did notice that the factories they're planning to shut down are the ones in Germany, right? Where energy costs have skyrocketed... They may be struggling in China, but I don't see where they're planning to shut down any factories there.

Do try and keep up with what's going on before spouting your silo's ”facts”.

---

China has implemented two distinct types of car manufacturing plant shutdowns recently: market-driven closures of underperforming brands and supply-chain-induced shutdowns affecting global automakers.

1. Revocation of Production Rights (Market Exit) The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) permanently revoked the production qualifications of eight automakers in a recent sweep, removing them from the national registry and sealing their lines. This purge includes FAW Xiali, Zotye, Leopaard, Lifan, Hawtai, BAIC Yinxiang, and Haima. This move marks the largest single purge in recent years, driven by a contracting passenger car market and stricter entry thresholds, including a mandatory 30,000-kilometer reliability verification.

2. Supply Chain Disruptions (Global Impact) China’s dominance in critical minerals and parts has allowed it to disrupt global auto production. In April 2025, China cut off exports of heavy rare earth elements, essential for EV motors and batteries, forcing European automakers to shut factories and causing Ford to idle Explorer SUV production. Additionally, during the 2022 Shanghai lockdown, major suppliers like Aptiv and Thyssenkrupp closed facilities, while global brands like GM and BYD faced significant production halts or were forced into closed-loop management to maintain output.

3. Strategic Consolidation The industry is undergoing severe consolidation, with Volkswagen planning workforce reductions of up to 100,000 employees by 2030 due to intense competition from Chinese manufacturers and slowing EV demand. Meanwhile, BYD cut nearly 100,000 jobs in 2025 amid a "knockout stage" of price competition, highlighting the pressure on both foreign and domestic players to adapt to a shrinking or highly competitive market.

On 6/26/2026 at 8:20 PM, JonnyF said:

I find this very hard to believe.

With all the brilliant engineers and designers flooding over borders into EU countries every day prepared to share their subsaharan expertise for the greater good on minimal wages, how could these bigoted homogenous Asian countries possibly compete with our diversity?

Its our greatest strength yet they outperform us without it.

Its a real mystery.

So true JonnyF, "diversity is our strength" just look at China where these subsaharan migrants are not invading and you see their auto industry is a severe decline............NOT. Much of VW's problem is its liberal, socialist labor unions that suck up much of VW's profit which the Chinese do not have to contend with.

38 minutes ago, impulse said:

You did notice that the factories they're planning to shut down are the ones in Germany, right? Where energy costs have skyrocketed... They may be struggling in China, but I don't see where they're planning to shut down any factories there.

So you couldn't name a single thing Trump was "right" about.

5 minutes ago, Screaming said:

So true JonnyF, "diversity is our strength" just look at China where these subsaharan migrants are not invading and you see their auto industry is a severe decline............NOT. Much of VW's problem is its liberal, socialist labor unions that suck up much of VW's profit which the Chinese do not have to contend with.

False.

No one in Germany ever claimed "diversity is our strength", you're thinking of Justin Trudeau, Canadian.

Strawman argument. ✅

Remember this is a country "famous" for thinking people who live there for decades or longer aren't "German" enough to stay out of concentration camps.

In fact, Angela Merkel said multiculturalism had “failed” in some respects (2010)

Someone is lying to you and it ain't me 😁

So you couldn't name a single thing Trump was "right" about.

I get a kick out of you guys with the syndrome. You'd tie yourselves into pretzels before you'd admit that Trump was right. Germans and their green policies tied their energy future to Russkie energy. And the result has been a de-industrialization of a lot of Germany due to high energy prices. And it's not just VW.

Did you also notice that the EU (Germany included) are finally paying lip service to curbing rampant illegal immigration? It remains to be seen whether they're actually going to do it, or they're just quelling the dissent and the rise of AfD. But you can thank Trump, Vance and Rubio if Europe hasn't gone full Muslim in a few years.

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

you can thank Trump, Vance and Rubio if Europe hasn't gone full Muslim in a few years.

Looks like someone is already bowing down and worshipping a Demagogue.

Guess you're just ahead of everyone else.

To hear you tell it we'll all be forced to do that soon at gunpoint with his Dunkin donut Brownshirt Squad?

Definitely not a white supremacist cult.

53 minutes ago, impulse said:

I get a kick out of you guys with the syndrome. You'd tie yourselves into pretzels before you'd admit that Trump was right. Germans and their green policies tied their energy future to Russkie energy. And the result has been a de-industrialization of a lot of Germany due to high energy prices. And it's not just VW.

Did you also notice that the EU (Germany included) are finally paying lip service to curbing rampant illegal immigration? It remains to be seen whether they're actually going to do it, or they're just quelling the dissent and the rise of AfD. But you can thank Trump, Vance and Rubio if Europe hasn't gone full Muslim in a few years.

The big mistake was to shut down their nuclear plants. And Trump did not warn them before they did. He just criticized them after it was already made.

He did warn them about being dependent on Russia (as did Obama and Biden, BTW). That was a strategic mistake from Germany. Had them listened to him, they would have bought more expensive energy from other suppliers, such as the US. That certainly would not have prevented Germany from paying higher energy cost.

As to renewable energy, it already represent 55% of electricity production, making Germany a bit more independent.

Do try and keep up with what's going on before spouting your silo's ”facts”.

Easy there, genius.

I'm typing this from an industrial city in Northern China. Little town of 15 million (+/-), home to several foreign JV auto factories. I'd bet all the money in my wallet that I know more than you about the China auto market.

And I could take your AI generated word salad sentence by sentence (and company by company) and show you that it doesn't mean what you think it means, and it doesn't support your case. It's what we call AI slop.

But I make it a point not to comment negatively on my host country, or even risk the possibility that something neutral could be interpreted as negative. That would be stoopid. And my Mama raised fat kids. Not stoopid ones.

As to renewable energy, it already represent 55% of electricity production, making Germany a bit more independent.

That 'splains why energy is so expensive there.

11 minutes ago, impulse said:

That 'splains why energy is so expensive there.

You are making that up. 😃

You are making that up. 😃

I even linked to it above. Quoting Merz:

He added: "We're now making the most expensive energy transition in the entire world. I don't know of a second country that makes it as difficult and as expensive for itself as Germany does. We set ourselves a goal that we now have to correct, but we simply don't have enough energy generation capacity.”

I think there's no question that the West (America and Europe) were asleep at the switch when it comes to EVs and China - and just about everything else that Chinas has been up to, and excelerating at, in the last 15+ years.

3 minutes ago, impulse said:

I even linked to it above. Quoting Merz:

He added: "We're now making the most expensive energy transition in the entire world. I don't know of a second country that makes it as difficult and as expensive for itself as Germany does. We set ourselves a goal that we now have to correct, but we simply don't have enough energy generation capacity.”

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

I even linked to it above. Quoting Merz:

He added: "We're now making the most expensive energy transition in the entire world. I don't know of a second country that makes it as difficult and as expensive for itself as Germany does. We set ourselves a goal that we now have to correct, but we simply don't have enough energy generation capacity.”

4 minutes ago, impulse said:

I even linked to it above. Quoting Merz:

He added: "We're now making the most expensive energy transition in the entire world. I don't know of a second country that makes it as difficult and as expensive for itself as Germany does. We set ourselves a goal that we now have to correct, but we simply don't have enough energy generation capacity.”

Lol! This is not cost data about renewable vs fossil to produce electricity in Germany.

If you make a claim, you need to prove it.

Volks wagen has only the Volks in it's name as much of it's general public cars are make in east europe. They also have awful customer service when there is a big issue that is never admitted. No wonder the chinese take over all over. They just do not argue. You have an issue, they tackle it or refund and it's case closed. Europe anyhow is doomed thanks to the disastrous governance at the European Union. No matter what the wokes may say, the UK was very smart in leaving the wrecking european union that is going to the dogs, with excessive and uncontroled immigration, crime and squandering of public funds to Ukraine.

6 hours ago, impulse said:

I'm typing this from an industrial city in Northern China. Little town of 15 million (+/-), home to several foreign JV auto factories. I'd bet all the money in my wallet that I know more than you about the China auto market.

I'm sure the news silo you get your data from the is likely worse than the one you use in North America. All news in China is brainwashing, just like fox or newsmax...

18 hours ago, candide said:

The big mistake was to shut down their nuclear plants. And Trump did not warn them before they did. He just criticized them after it was already made.

He did warn them about being dependent on Russia (as did Obama and Biden, BTW). That was a strategic mistake from Germany. Had them listened to him, they would have bought more expensive energy from other suppliers, such as the US. That certainly would not have prevented Germany from paying higher energy cost.

As to renewable energy, it already represent 55% of electricity production, making Germany a bit more independent.

Germany has high household electricity prices

But that’s not because renewables are expensive

Prices include:

Grid expansion (to connect wind/solar)

Taxes & policy costs (historically renewable subsidies)

Market structure and energy crisis effects

👉 So:

Renewables = cheaper to generate than new fossil fuel power plants

EASY TO REMEMBER...

"RENEWABLES ARE CHEAPER" 🤣

The electric old school VW vans are all over where I am in California. Magic bus! Electric bus! Hugely popular, so yes, have a hard time believing this.

Looking to get one camper style for myself.