Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio’s founder William Li said rapid EV growth in China resulted from an ‘open and competitive’ market where ‘all products are welcome regardless of their brands or origins’. — Reuters picSHANGHAI, April 15 — 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 energised the industry. Tensions are rising between China and the West over Chinese EV exports, which Washington and Brussels say are heavily subsidised by the state and could harm domestic automakers.