Vehicle Import Restrictions to be Lifted!

[iRage]

2 hours ago, matroska said:

The IMF does want us to downsize our spending on vehicles. At the same time the IMF of course will not as a principle support import restrictions on any goods. I think Sri Lanka might want to explore other ways to control - including taxes, maybe a system like they have in Singapore etc.

Actually this is exactly what is to be interpreted by what the IMF is saying, this coming from knowing how organizations like the UN and its donors mean. 

See....as a person who might have an unhealthy relationship with Toyotas and an advocate for automobiles I cannot outwardly say you should stay the he11 away from a Mitsubishi. You should have the right I should help you maintain the right to purchase whatever car you want. So the only thing I can do is to recommend facts that would guide you to limit the likelihood of you purchasing a Mitsubishi

2 hours ago, matroska said:

the public transport here is terribly terribly crappy. After half-a-dozen years of trying I eventually gave up. 

..and this is partly linked to the American like obsession we have with cars. Sadly the powers that run the country do not seem to have a vested interest in actually doing anything about it. We can only hope and pray that the Japanese will reconsider re-initiating the transport improvement projects. ALso, this is also a global issue. Countries across the world need serious improvement in public transportation. However it costs a lot of money and a lot of time. Neither of which is the interest of any political party (in any country) who gets the keys to a nation for 4 years. Therefore, it is easy to convince the populous that EVs are the solution to all our eco problems.

2 hours ago, matroska said:

Sri Lankans as a people, have an American-like obsession with personal vehicles.

Apart from the above..it is also the ability to flex. We Lankans do live to impress our neighbors and what better way to do that than a flashy car or multiple flashy cars. This is further strengthened by the cost of cars and them being considered an appreciating asset (in light of how flakey our currency is). This also needs a complete reboot of our society. We need to actually value people for people and who they are rather than all these stupid flexes (more or less practice all the stuff we preach about through our religions). I wonder if this is something we ever had. 

[Gummybr]

Firstly they should do away with all these irrelevant permit schemes where permits are issued to govt servants and ministers. Permits should be issued to people looking to buy brand new vehicles (like the certificate of ownership in Singapore) but it shouldnt carry a tax benefit. The person getting the permit should be able to justify his earnings, timely tax payments and as to how he / she is going to buy the car from his accumulated wealth. If its a company that wants to buy they should in turn present their financials and tax payments. 

My bro was of the opinion that taxes should be reduced on vehicles but purchasing made difficult through the above ways so that there wont be a huge influx of vehicles. But the stumbling block is that we have been depending too much on vehicle import taxes, I have heard that they are looking at Rs. 800b revenue from vehicle imports which is a bit of a long shot. Next step should be to have a ceiling on the annual import bill which should be transparent to all. Next should be a higher road tax to be paid annually in place of our revenue license system.

As @matroska says we should look at our public transport systems, it was sad that they stopped the Light Rail System. But it will take a lot of effort and investment to do it but I am sure people will come around to using public transport. What I suggested in the above paragraph can be achieved with a good public transport system.

[Noobdriver]

On 9/30/2024 at 8:53 AM, iRage said:

A few months ago there were two that came up for sale...they were 19mil and above..one was nearly 21.

So....we brought down our Corolla Touring. Customs took the Japanese market value for the CIF value which was 2.4mil yen...based on that valuation, customs calculated the total value of the vehilce including import duties to be 17.5mil (the car was brought in duty free for my wife whose job gives her a duty free allowance for one car import during her assignment in whatever country she is working in).

People say Premios, Corolla Sports, etc...go for such high prices because of the LKR devaluation and that the dollar amount will be lesser than what it was when new. In reality, not the case. People are still making a good amount of money with it.

I'm not sure where you got the numbers from on the Corolla Sports. I was actively following them and I saw one go for 15 Mil (Black). There was another one sold but I'm not 100% sure of the price and specifics, but not that high. 

I think our tax system is extremely flawed. They take a certain set of specs to define the tax, which I don't think is reasonable.

For example, if you're buying a car on a budget, you only have a few options if you're looking for something around the early 2010s, at the 6 million mar, it's either going to be a junk 660c Kei Car or an old beaten Swift/Vitz (I don't think you can even buy a Stingray for 7 million now, which is hilarious).

I guess they should push more towards the more higher end cars (for example easing on Corollas, Camrys) and taxing on higher-end cars like the Audis, BMWs, Range Rovers. Focusing mostly on the CIF value and having progressive slabs of tax based on the CIF value and not just the engine size. That would make a more fairer system (At the moment a 2018 Premio costs way more than a 2018 Audi A3 or a BMW 3 series) and a Honda Vezel and Honda Civic are both touching A3 prices lol.

On top of increased import taxes, have a decent amount of annual tax on higher end cars too. That will have a steady flow of revenue for the government at the same time and discourage pricier imports.

If the average car is not going to be cheap, we will not see a drop in the number of accidents we see in the roads. Motorcycles, Tuks, Buses - I'm fed up of them at this point. 🥲. If they could afford better vehicles, they wouldn't be driving them, and due to the smaller size of Motorcycles and Tuks, they tried to squeeze in from tight spots and end up damaging your vehicle.

Edited Wednesday at 11:20 PM by Noobdriver

[Gummybr]

2 hours ago, Noobdriver said:

I'm not sure where you got the numbers from on the Corolla Sports. I was actively following them and I saw one go for 15 Mil (Black). There was another one sold but I'm not 100% sure of the price and specifics, but not that high. 

I think our tax system is extremely flawed. They take a certain set of specs to define the tax, which I don't think is reasonable.

For example, if you're buying a car on a budget, you only have a few options if you're looking for something around the early 2010s, at the 6 million mar, it's either going to be a junk 660c Kei Car or an old beaten Swift/Vitz (I don't think you can even buy a Stingray for 7 million now, which is hilarious).

I guess they should push more towards the more higher end cars (for example easing on Corollas, Camrys) and taxing on higher-end cars like the Audis, BMWs, Range Rovers. Focusing mostly on the CIF value and having progressive slabs of tax based on the CIF value and not just the engine size. That would make a more fairer system (At the moment a 2018 Premio costs way more than a 2018 Audi A3 or a BMW 3 series) and a Honda Vezel and Honda Civic are both touching A3 prices lol.

On top of increased import taxes, have a decent amount of annual tax on higher end cars too. That will have a steady flow of revenue for the government at the same time and discourage pricier imports.

If the average car is not going to be cheap, we will not see a drop in the number of accidents we see in the roads. Motorcycles, Tuks, Buses - I'm fed up of them at this point. 🥲. If they could afford better vehicles, they wouldn't be driving them, and due to the smaller size of Motorcycles and Tuks, they tried to squeeze in from tight spots and end up damaging your vehicle.

Previously the tax structure was based on the vehicle value (CIF) but it was abused by all through under valuing thereby the govt lost a lot of revenue and high priced vehicles were imported at low costs but sold at high prices. It is not easy to define and say a BMW should be taxed more against a Suzuki, there is no way that globally you can tax based on a brand name.

[iRage]

4 hours ago, Noobdriver said:

I'm not sure where you got the numbers from on the Corolla Sports. I was actively following them and I saw one go for 15 Mil (Black).

Local advertisements and what a person I know of from car groups was asking for his  The 21mil was I believe a sedan WXB so had the manual transmission. For some reason the owner seems ot have thought that it was a special sports edition or something

4 hours ago, Noobdriver said:

I think our tax system is extremely flawed. They take a certain set of specs to define the tax, which I don't think is reasonable.

You would think that but this system has been the most consistent system the country has had. Are the rates fair ? no...Do car prices at the end make sense ? No...but does it work ? yes.
Your statement about the Vezel and Civic being the same price as a A3 is not the best example. In most  parts of the world an A3 is not a high-end vehicle. It is a mid-level model from a premium brand. In fact, right now, if you check prices...in most markets (if not all), I am sure a 2023 Civic with X miles on it would be the same price as an A3 of the same age and similar mileage. Also, you mention that cars in the Camry and Corolla segment should be reduced in market cost. That also won't work because cars like the Corolla and Civic are not what they used to be...entry level mid-sized vehicles...if you take the Corolla it now fills the market of the Corolla, Carina/Corona and the Camry fills the void from everything from the X chassis cars to entry-level Crown models. So they are no longer cars that fit one particular market segment. We obviously need a mechanism to define and identify cars belonging to different market segments. Perhaps the existing system can be changed to add more granularity (e.g. charge per engine cc but depending on CIF value have different rates ?) There is no way to fix this. ...the long term solution to the affordability of cars and living in general problem is to make the people wealthier. 

As @Gummybr mentioned in the past it was based on CIF value. The government got cheated as the importer's under-valued cars.  Even before that (80s, early 90s) it was based on CIF value plus they charged additional fees for each accessory/option. Then the government went with using the MSRP published by the manufacturers and used a depreciation table. But with FOREX fluctuations and market value fluctuations that didn't work out too well either (e.g. right now a LC250 in Japan through a 3rd party dealer is about 11mil yen while the MSRP for the same car is just 8mil). 

Taxes are not fair. They never are.

Edited Thursday at 04:13 AM by iRage

[Noobdriver]

8 hours ago, iRage said:

Local advertisements and what a person I know of from car groups was asking for his  The 21mil was I believe a sedan WXB so had the manual transmission. For some reason the owner seems ot have thought that it was a special sports edition or something

You would think that but this system has been the most consistent system the country has had. Are the rates fair ? no...Do car prices at the end make sense ? No...but does it work ? yes.
Your statement about the Vezel and Civic being the same price as a A3 is not the best example. In most  parts of the world an A3 is not a high-end vehicle. It is a mid-level model from a premium brand. In fact, right now, if you check prices...in most markets (if not all), I am sure a 2023 Civic with X miles on it would be the same price as an A3 of the same age and similar mileage. Also, you mention that cars in the Camry and Corolla segment should be reduced in market cost. That also won't work because cars like the Corolla and Civic are not what they used to be...entry level mid-sized vehicles...if you take the Corolla it now fills the market of the Corolla, Carina/Corona and the Camry fills the void from everything from the X chassis cars to entry-level Crown models. So they are no longer cars that fit one particular market segment. We obviously need a mechanism to define and identify cars belonging to different market segments. Perhaps the existing system can be changed to add more granularity (e.g. charge per engine cc but depending on CIF value have different rates ?) There is no way to fix this. ...the long term solution to the affordability of cars and living in general problem is to make the people wealthier. 

As @Gummybr mentioned in the past it was based on CIF value. The government got cheated as the importer's under-valued cars.  Even before that (80s, early 90s) it was based on CIF value plus they charged additional fees for each accessory/option. Then the government went with using the MSRP published by the manufacturers and used a depreciation table. But with FOREX fluctuations and market value fluctuations that didn't work out too well either (e.g. right now a LC250 in Japan through a 3rd party dealer is about 11mil yen while the MSRP for the same car is just 8mil). 

Taxes are not fair. They never are.

I agree man, just frustrated. Also, I meant the "Corolla Sport" hatchback. It's super rare here, only a handful made it here. I believe by WXB you're referring to an Axio, which is a market of its own.

On paper, most people are making lots of money, but in reality, owning a car is a far-fetched dream for many. I think everyone deserves to own a car. I myself worked extremely hard to be able to afford a Toyota Vitz, which too had hefty repair bills including an engine overhaul. I might be lucky to be able to afford all this at 24, but man I feel bad for people suffering in rain on motorbikes, etc.

The whole reason I had to get a car was to commute back and forth from the office. I don't have the courage to drive a motorbike in the Sri Lankan roads. Finding a tuk is a royal pain, sometimes I stay without a Tuk till 10pm at work. And usually when I wanna goto work, I have to wait till 11am to get one. I got lucky, but most aren't in a place to do so despite having decent earnings.

Edited Thursday at 12:02 PM by Noobdriver

[Noobdriver]

10 hours ago, Gummybr said:

Previously the tax structure was based on the vehicle value (CIF) but it was abused by all through under valuing thereby the govt lost a lot of revenue and high priced vehicles were imported at low costs but sold at high prices. It is not easy to define and say a BMW should be taxed more against a Suzuki, there is no way that globally you can tax based on a brand name.

No no, I was not referring specifically by brand name. By brand name, I meant to say high value vehicles. I guess you're right, its hard to value based on CIF alone.

[iRage]

On 11/21/2024 at 9:00 PM, Noobdriver said:

I believe by WXB you're referring to an Axio

No I am talking about the new Corolla sedan WxB. The highest grade of the Corolla sedan is the WxB...that is what was advertised for 21mil. It was white and had really ugly stickers stuck all over it for that sports feel

The Corolla sedan WxB came in either Hybrid or with the 1.2L Turbo engine and a manual transmission.

There are about 4 Corolla Sports and an equal number of 1.2L sedans plus a stock of export models of the new Corolla sedan. Plus there is one new Corolla Touring (wagon) and two Corolla Crosses.
 

EDIT: Saw a freshly imported Corolla WxB sedan from Japan (white with DPL tags...has to be newly imported as it had a number a bit newer than ours). I believe it is was a Hybrid, . So that makes two Corollas with the 1.8L engine and the 5th gen Hybrid System (this new white sedan and the touring wagon).

Edited Friday at 04:20 PM by iRage

[Dee Jay]

On 11/21/2024 at 8:14 PM, iRage said:

5th gen Hybrid System

Out of curiosity @iRage, how about the efficiency of the 5th gen THS in the Sri Lankan traffic around CMB in the rush hour?

With all this EV talk and rumors of efficient vehicles being imported once the ban is lifted, it would be interesting to see how the local market behaves once it is finally lifted. 

Would people stick to new hybrids from the known brands or would they take a risk and go with an influx of Chinese EVs.. Interesting times ahead..

Edited Sunday at 02:05 PM by Dee Jay

[Gummybr]

12 hours ago, Dee Jay said:

With all this EV talk and rumors of efficient vehicles being imported once the ban is lifted, it would be interesting to see how the local market behaves once it is finally lifted. 

Would people stick to new hybrids from the known brands or would they take a risk and go with an influx of Chinese EVs.. Interesting times ahead..

By saying efficient vehicles you must be referring to EV's and Hybrids. For me it works in two ways, I dont see a lot of people buying EV only if its going to be their main vehicle (atleast till we have solutions for fast charging and charging points across the country), I would say a hybrid would be a better bet for people.

True in real world you will look at how much of electricity you use etc etc and compare that with a petrol or diesel vehicle, in a hypothetical world that is ideal and much cheaper, but is it true when it comes to Sri Lanka? Carexpert in Australia did a real world driving test on a 7 series (3.0l) vs a i7 and got a lot of hate messages from the EV crowd. But for me those were real world figures after all it is the same model to model, the question you need to ask is even with a range of 600kms can you justify the time you take to go from point A to B on a long run and is the price worth it? We must remember that whatever said and done the most expensive component on most EV's are their battery and that would offset your savings on fuel and servicing. Its kind of like having a Prius or a Aqua and saving on the fuel and then when battery or the ABS (common faults in Sri Lanka) go you spend a lot of money to replace them. Also do we have battery disposal means in Sri Lanka?

Hybrids also have the battery issues, but at least they wont be as expensive as the big EV batteries and you dont have to have the range anxiety, if you run out of battery you can still pump petrol and keep running.

On your second point, its hard to say. All depends on the price, I know for a fact that the EU cars will be quite expensive compared to the Chinese EV's, but the Japanese should be just around the same kind of price point. Problem with the Chinese is that there are way too many brands around (more than 100 maybe) and they just pop up and then vanish. They had this hyper car called the HiPhi I think and that car company went bankrupt, then more recently Neta is having trouble. I think its mainly to do with the high competition in China for vehicles they have to innovate quickly and offer tech cheaper and all the whilst being relevant in the market. But they did scare the German brands, and VW is still trying to recover.

I can tell you one thing though in the next 10 years the automobile market that we know of will change and just like how the Japanese and the Koreans took over the Chinese will take over. Chinese brands will be the first name you will say when you talk of vehicles just like a Toyota would be the first vehicle people would mention first.

[iRage]

13 hours ago, Dee Jay said:

how about the efficiency of the 5th gen THS in the Sri Lankan traffic around CMB in the rush hour

With heavy to above average traffic I average about 16.5 (when wife drives it is about 16-16.5 and when I drive it is about 17-17.5 ....and I drive with a much heavier foot). With no traffic I get about 21-22kmpl in the city and on the highway touching 27ish. Over the last few months of the car being here the tabk seems to have averaged about 18kmpl across mixed driving and idling conditions. Mind you the fuel seem to make a huge difference. It is so inconsistent over here.

The logic is different so the system provides more Hybrid assist and sits in EV mode much more happily at high speeds as well. I have no idea how this compares to the previous Hybrid as this is the first Hybrid I have owned on a long term basis. One thing that is drastically evident is that it is much more smoother going in and out of Hybrid mode and doesn't have that dead braking feel.

13 hours ago, Dee Jay said:

Would people stick to new hybrids from the known brands or would they take a risk and go with an influx of Chinese EVs..

I think it is going to be a matter of cost. The Corolla now comes with a 1.8L Hybrid. So the taxes are going to be high. Same with the Prius, in fact, the non-business, higher trim levels come with only the 2L Hybrid. Then there is the cost. On average, a 1-2 year-old Hybrid Corolla with low miles can cost around 2.4mil yen. The Prius is nearing 3mil yen (unless you go for a low-spec one with high miles). So that just leaves cars like the Yaris, e-Note, and maybe the Aqua (which is now pricey... the downfall of it being based exactly on the Yaris). So that just leaves the kei cars along with these small hatches. So, for the average car owner, these brands may seem to offer less than what the Chinese makers would offer. If the market shifts towards these Chinese vehicles, en masse I believe the most to suffer would be those in the market for used vehicles in about 5 years or so onwards, as their choices would be limited. None of these Chinese brands have a reputation for being robust and long-lasting. 

Those who can afford a proper sized Japanese car would probably opt for a Euro. Someone brought up the fact that a Civic is the same price as am A3...so why not go for the premium badge than the Japanese one?

46 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

I would say a hybrid would be a better bet for people.

Well...soon, there won't be an option other than Hybrids and EVs. Even if you take the Corolla as it is....the Hybrids are outselling the petrol variant in Japan (apart from the fuel saving gains, it is also because the petrol variant is less refined in many aspects, e.g., torsion beam rear suspension versus IRS, adaptive steering and throttle vs. static, etc..). Last I heard, Toyota was stating the next gen of models will only come in Hybrid form and gasoline vehicles will be for sports vehicles and special purpose vehicles (which I am not sure about as they also have been touting the next-gen gasoline engines that are extremely efficient...no one seems to know if these engines will be purely gasoline or if there will be Hybridadized variants as well). 

46 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

, but is it true when it comes to Sri Lanka?

The only thing that is rational about Sri Lankan car buyers is that they are simply illogical and extremely price focused. They want the bright and shiny things that will impress and woo, the cheaper it is the better. The logic of practicality only comes after purchase and use. The Leaf was not practical back then (nor is it now?) but people went and bought them by the ship load, or more than they should have, because it was cheap and the advertised running costs were low.

46 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

Problem with the Chinese is that there are way too many brands around

That is one of the huge risks. The cheap models are being supplied by all these smaller unknown companies that we have no idea if they will survive or not. If these make it to SL we are all right royally screwed.

Irrelevant factoid: BYD started pushing its brand in Japan. It created a bit of a stir, and people were interested. But they soon ran away from it. The general consensus was that the cars were nice and luxurious but didn't feel like a solid car. The Japanese seem to like the Hyundais more. (Eitherway no one is selling that many EV cars in Japan).

Edited yesterday at 03:38 AM by iRage

[Gummybr]

22 hours ago, iRage said:

That is one of the huge risks. The cheap models are being supplied by all these smaller unknown companies that we have no idea if they will survive or not. If these make it to SL we are all right royally screwed.

Irrelevant factoid: BYD started pushing its brand in Japan. It created a bit of a stir, and people were interested. But they soon ran away from it. The general consensus was that the cars were nice and luxurious but didn't feel like a solid car. The Japanese seem to like the Hyundais more. (Eitherway no one is selling that many EV cars in Japan).

Very true, and our people are flocking to see what brand they can get agency for without thinking of the longevity of the brand. They have four or five main manufacturers who have many umbrella brands under their name, I would say those are fairly risk free but other unknown brands I would wait and see.

On the BYD, one good thing about them is the fact that the older gen BYD's have been rather forgiving in terms of issues and build quality. Yes the first gen BYD e6 (kangaroo Cabs version if you have seen) were not well built and rusted badly but they are still running around in SL. In China they have done more than 500,000kms as taxi's so that means they should be well put together. Not promoting BYD but then again it is known in Europe for building most of their hybrid buses. With them going mass market, wanting to expand and with so many models coming out (one whole line for China and whole line for export) maybe the quality might drop, but I what I have seen are mostly good reviews.

[iRage]

11 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

On the BYD, one good thing about them is the fact that the older gen BYD's have been rather forgiving in terms of issues and build quality. Yes the first gen BYD e6 (kangaroo Cabs version if you have seen) were not well built and rusted badly but they are still running around in SL. In China they have done more than 500,000kms as taxi's so that means they should be well put together. Not promoting BYD but then again it is known in Europe for building most of their hybrid buses. With them going mass market, wanting to expand and with so many models coming out (one whole line for China and whole line for export) maybe the quality might drop, but I what I have seen are mostly good reviews.

BYD is good. After all, even Toyota is teaming up with them for EV/Battery tech. In the past there was noticeable quality differences in what they sent to Europe and what they sent to developing markets like ours. I hope that is no longer the case. As for BYD in Japan....there have been quality issues (apparently) and the issue for BYD is that they simply do not have the network to actually take care of their vehicles. Hyundai would have the same issue, but the Japanese seem far more forgiving towards the South Koreans than the Chinese brands. As for my personal feeling about BYD...drives okay...but something feels a bit off in terms of fit and finish and the touch and feel is a bit less refined compared to the Hyundais (and even the Leaf). 

 

 

[Gummybr]

1 hour ago, iRage said:

BYD is good. 

As for BYD in Japan....there have been quality issues (apparently) and the issue for BYD is that they simply do not have the network to actually take care of their vehicles. 

 

I think thats the problem they have, first they should have the network in place rather than just trying to flood the market. You have a problem and if you have to go 100s of kms to get it sorted and if they are not competent enough you are sadly straddled with a non working vehicle.

This is the reason why Sri Lanka should have the infrastructure in place, get agents to invest in developing staff and dealer networks. We have worked it the other way, we got people to import EV's just because some one wanted to make money but conveniently forgot that cars need to be maintained. We have Hummers, Lotus's, BMW's, Mercs, Audi's, Nissan's, Tesla's, Toyota's, Volkswagen's and a plethora of Chinese brands which came on the permit scheme. Except for the ones that the agents support how will you do your maintenance? Are every other garage equipped with the latest technology with trained technicians who knows what they are doing? Or is it going to be on trial and error basis because it is the first time some people will come across complex electronic systems?

This is why I am of the view that you cannot just tell people to change overnight and import only EV's, there should be sufficient time given for the rest to change and get to terms of the technology.

Being in the industry I know as to how many technicians (specialists) have left the country and how hard it is to bring the next gen to train and get knowledge because the moment they get the experience they also leave because of better opportunities.

[iRage]

29 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

I think thats the problem they have, first they should have the network in place rather than just trying to flood the market. You have a problem and if you have to go 100s of kms to get it sorted and if they are not competent enough you are sadly straddled with a non working vehicle.

In a country like Japan establishing a network is easier said than done. It is a HUGE investment. Property prices alone are staggering unless it is LITERALLY in the middle of nowhere (in which case you can buy an entire huge mountain for like 20,000USD...not kidding here !). So unless there is a huge investment, it ain't happening, and without knowing what the market would be like, no one seems to want to invest.

32 minutes ago, Gummybr said:

This is the reason why Sri Lanka should have the infrastructure in place, get agents to invest in developing staff and dealer networks.

Most of our garages are literally shacks with grease monkeys who learned the trade through trial and error. Properly trained technicians with equipped garages cost money, which translates to higher rates. Most Sri Lankans would not be willing to spend high rates, especially when there is a monkey with a wrench and a sweet smile stating he can solve the world's automotive problems for half the price. 

So....does one first build up the market and then establish the support network (like with Hybrids) and let the unwitting early adopters absorb the risk or does one take the risk and invest in the support network first and then hope for the best? Then, with EVs, there is the added complication of charging infrastructure, which we simply don't have. True...we have many marketing their charging systems, but still, it simply has not taken traction. Let's not even talk about the upkeep of this infrastructure which can be a hit or miss. 

 

[Gummybr]

43 minutes ago, iRage said:

In a country like Japan establishing a network is easier said than done. It is a HUGE investment. Property prices alone are staggering unless it is LITERALLY in the middle of nowhere (in which case you can buy an entire huge mountain for like 20,000USD...not kidding here !). So unless there is a huge investment, it ain't happening, and without knowing what the market would be like, no one seems to want to invest.

 

Yes this is a problem the way to navigate would be to appoint aftersales dealers - as in take current workshops in selected areas and tie up with them for transfer of knowledge and equipment and then work from there. I believe this is what the Chinese are thinking right now.

45 minutes ago, iRage said:

Most of our garages are literally shacks with grease monkeys who learned the trade through trial and error. Properly trained technicians with equipped garages cost money, which translates to higher rates. Most Sri Lankans would not be willing to spend high rates, especially when there is a monkey with a wrench and a sweet smile stating he can solve the world's automotive problems for half the price. 

 

This is the problem with the Sri Lankans they look at price vs quality of work, so many instances I have seen where they bring to the agent after the 'maka baas' screws them and expect the agent to untie the knots in the wool ball immediately. Problem is there are learned people who think they can do a better job than the agent and have started their own workshops with zero experience in the new EV's. For god sake EV tech has moved on from the old Leaf and i3's that they are familiar with, they will take another 2-3 years to understand the new tech unless they have people who are trained in the new EV tech.

49 minutes ago, iRage said:

So....does one first build up the market and then establish the support network (like with Hybrids) and let the unwitting early adopters absorb the risk or does one take the risk and invest in the support network first and then hope for the best? Then, with EVs, there is the added complication of charging infrastructure, which we simply don't have. True...we have many marketing their charging systems, but still, it simply has not taken traction. Let's not even talk about the upkeep of this infrastructure which can be a hit or miss. 

 

The correct way would be to have the network in place and to educate the general public (if they are willing to listen) then start importing EV's slowly. We have people driving plug in hybrids who dont want to charge their cars at home saying its inconvenient and that they didnt know, how do you think they will adopt when forced to use a full EV? Having the network in place even if you dont import EV's will be ok as new tech would be similar on the hybrids (plug in hybrids) so you are not losing on your investments and it is better for the public. 

As you rightly said we need to sort out our charging infrastructure before we import EVs on mass scale, to do that you need proper systems and regulations in place so that people investing in them will not be at a loss with all these plug types etc etc.