Michael Dunne - Paranoia and Opportunity - The Contrasting Fortunes of Western and Chinese EV Manufacturers

In this conversation, we interview Michael Dunne about the current state of the electric vehicle industry, with a focus on the state of play for Western OEMs and their Chinese competitors. We discuss the shift of automotive production to Asia, the challenges faced by Western OEMs in catching up to Chinese competitors, and whether or not western OEMs have any hope of matching Chinese scale and technological acumen. We also explore the barriers to widespread EV adoption, including cost and infrastructure, and if the current debate around Chinese "overcapacity" has any validity to it. We finish with a discussion of lesser-known players in the EV and autonomy space, such as Baidu, Xiaomi, and Vinfast, as well as Michael's favorite poem and how many languages he actually can speak and understand. Michael is CEO at Dunne Insights LLC, an automotive consultancy with a global client base. He is an entrepreneur with special expertise in China and its complex and dynamic automotive market. He has an incredibly varied background across Asia and the automotive business in particular. He is the author of the forthcoming book titled 'Humiliation No More - China’s Master Plan to Dominate EV Markets and Destroy western Automakers out in Summer 2025.