By Joo-Min Park
BEIJING, April 26 (Reuters) – An American YouTuber is giving overseas visitors a first-hand look at Chinese high-tech cars that many American consumers can only see online.
Ethan Robertson, 34, offered an up-close look at China’s auto industry at the Beijing Auto Show, which opened Friday, as he led more than a dozen people from Australia, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere through sprawling halls filled with electric SUVs, pickup trucks and futuristic concept cars.
The North Carolina native is the co-founder of Wheelsboy, a YouTube channel specializing in Chinese cars for an English-speaking audience. For many on his tour, the appeal of the vehicles was clear: low prices, advanced technology and lots of variety.
At one booth, he showed off a Stellantis-powered Leapmotor luxury electric SUV, with a wide screen and a back-seat refrigerator.
“You’re looking at a car that might be $30,000 and that car is fully equipped,” he said. “Whereas $30,000 gets you into any electric vehicle or hybrid in the US”.
‘Can’t believe this car isn’t allowed’
That price difference is a big reason why his largely American audience responds with a mixture of fascination and disappointment.
“Our comments section is full of people saying, ‘I can’t believe the government won’t let them sell this car in my country,'” Robertson told Robertson.
One of the tour’s participants, New Zealand retiree John Cordell, was drawn in a bright yellow Deepal S07 midsize crossover.
“First of all, I was drawn to color,” said the 77-year-old former heating and ventilation engineer. But it was more than the paintwork that won him over. He praised the interior, head-up display, screen and surround-view camera system.
His brother-in-law and his son accompanied him on the two-day tour, at $399 per person.
Cordell already has a Chinese EV back home – a BYD Atto 3 – and technology was a major selling point. “Everything is very well engineered,” he said.
Changing perceptions of Chinese vehicles
Andrew Pertsoulis, a 62-year-old retired performance coach from Sydney, said the most important thing was how futuristic the cars felt inside. “It separates them,” he said. The big screen and tech-rich interiors made him feel like he had “stepped into a new generation vehicle”.
Robertson, who lives in China, said the American audience’s perception of Chinese cars has changed over the course of six years. While the cars were initially seen as low-quality copycats, it recognizes that many brands are leading the industry in areas such as battery performance, software and charging speed.
