Like Heaven and Earth, the Price of 1 Car in the US Can Wholesale 5 New Electric Cars in China

JAKARTA - A brief report from Reuters at the Beijing Auto Show, which took place this week, dealt a blow to the Western automotive industry dominated by manufacturers from the United States (US) and Europe.

Electric car prices in China are said to be unreasonable and highlight the extreme price competition in the Chinese automotive market. At a time when consumers in the United States (US) have to dig deep into their pockets for a new vehicle, consumers in China are spoiled with a choice of electric vehicles (EV) that cost only "the tip of the nail" from the price in the West.

According to Kelley Blue Book data, the average price of a new car in the United States in March was $51,456 (about Rp887 million).

On the other hand, the DCar trading platform notes that there are more than 200 battery-powered car models (including hybrids) in China that are sold for less than 25,000 US dollars (about Rp431 million). In fact, with the equivalent of the price of one car on average in the US, a consumer in China can technically buy five of the best-selling electric cars at once.

The reason is that the Chinese automotive market is now dominated by a row of cheap electric cars that offer modern technology at prices below 12,000 (about Rp206 million), such as the Geely EX2 or "Star Wish" which became the best-selling vehicle throughout 2025. Although it is small in size, the Geely EX2 is considered to have a luxurious cabin quality with large touch screen features and has begun to be exported to various countries including Indonesia. In addition, Wuling Hongguang MiniEV remains the primadona of urban commuters because of its most affordable price, where the latest model now comes with a four-door design that is more spacious even though it still has very compact dimensions.

BYD manufacturers' dominance is also very strong in this segment through their three flagship models which recorded sales of up to 700,000 units in the past year. The BYD Seagull is in the spotlight because it is now equipped with Lidar sensor technology for automatic driving assistance as well as improvements to the 2026 model. On the other hand, the BYD Yuan UP offers an alternative in the form of a more robust SUV design, while the BYD Qin Plus DM provides a solution for consumers who need a car with larger dimensions but still at a very economical price.