France and Japan are both world leaders in design — but if you’re wanting to keep up with fashion, Paris is the unmissable trendsetter, while Tokyo is a backwater. It’s looking similar in the world of automobiles.
Last week's Paris Motor Show was a chance for a tariff-buttressed European car industry to showcase its ability to fight back against affordable, innovative Chinese electric vehicle imports. The buzz was palpable half a world away: Renault, Stellantis and Volkswagen all teased new EVs around or below a competitive €25,000 ($27,000) price level. Cheeky, crazy designs might even pique the interest of Europeans who increasingly seem to be drifting toward a post-car era.
Blink and you might have missed the fact that Japan’s auto sector was displaying its wares at the same time. What’s more, you’d be forgiven for thinking the EV revolution wasn’t happening at all.
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