Comment by alephnerd

Household incomes are also much lower in China compared to Western countries. The kind of upper line BYD EV model that would appear to be a discount to a Western buyer is fairly unaffordable in a country where the median household incomes are around Yuan 2-3k (US$300-500) a month.

A US$15,000 car is equally as unaffordable for most Chinese just as a US$100,000 car is for most Americans.

Heck, the median household in China only spent Yuan 4k (~US$550) a year [0] on transportation and telecom (the Chinese government chose to club both into a single bracket) in 2024 - meaning at least 50% of Chinese households cannot afford the vast majority of EVs domestically sold in China.

[0] - https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202501/t202501...