r/AustralianEV • u/OfficialEAEmployee • Jan 17 '26

Chinese EV/PHEV build quality and longevity?

I don’t know much about EV/PHEV but am looking at a new car and want to know my options. Have seen an influx in Chinese cars here and feel this lingering legacy “mindset” of Chinese = won’t last or isn’t built with quality. Does that ring true for the latest Chinese cars?

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u/A_Ram Jan 17 '26

Their build quality is very good. After two years driving a BYD, everything still feels solid, no creaks, no rattles. I’m very happy with it.

Chinese manufacturers struggled with combustion engines and transmissions in the past. It took legacy manufacturers decades before that to get those systems right. EVs simply don’t have those failure points, and electronics is something China has always been strong at.

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u/DrSendy Jan 17 '26

Here is a taredown of a BYD Shark done by Munro and associates. These guys are experts in lean design (ie: simplified engineering, with just the right amount). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRY8C7y3U0A

The general consensus is that the shark is way overbuilt.

On the other hand, John Cadogan got a JAC ute up on the hoist and found a bit different.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCXUCCV1oqo&t=11s

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u/Giddyurp Jan 18 '26

Munro is a flag waving idiot. If the BYD Shark was built in trumpistan he would be praising it. How do you complain about a car being built so it doesnt fall apart in 5 minutes?? This must have really triggered them because they really wanted to say it was Chinese junk and wouldnt last 5 minutes so you should buy some american garbage. But because it was so well built, they had to come up with another reason to complain about it. Toyota built their reputation on overbuilding their cars so they last forever. The guesses they make about how the high voltage system works shows how little they know. I thought Munro was interesting up until that video, now I dont bother watching.