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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. shake up (someone/something)
    • ex. The new manager wants to shake up the company by changing old rules and bringing in new ideas.
  2. affordable
    • ex. They found an affordable hotel near the station, so they could save money on their trip.
  3. emerging
    • ex. There are many emerging technologies that help people work faster.
  4. expansion
    • ex. The small shop is planning for expansion in the next year. It will open more shops in other cities.
  5. sleek
    • ex. He bought a sleek black car that looks very modern.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Chinese car companies like BYD, Great Wall Motors, Geely, and Chery are starting to shake up the global car market. They are selling more affordable electric vehicles (EVs) and expanding their business beyond China. Great Wall Motors is now focusing on other countries after a big drop in sales in China last year. It has built car factories in Russia, Thailand, and Brazil to compete with top brands like Toyota.

Chery, a state-owned company, was the first Chinese carmaker to sell cars overseas. It has sold more than 15 million cars, mostly in emerging markets and developing countries. As part of its global expansion, Chery plans to sell 3 million cars overseas by 2025 and build new factories in Latin America, Russia, and Spain.

However, Chery has not entered the North American market yet. Still, it is working with big companies like Jaguar Land Rover. BYD surpassed Tesla in EV sales last year with 3.52 million cars sold in China. It now plans to grow with fast charging stations and sleek new models. Geely is also growing, selling its EX5 SUVs in Australia and New Zealand.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Electric Vehicles

  • Why do you think more people are starting to buy electric vehicles? Discuss.
  • Imagine you’re buying an EV. What car brand would you consider? Discuss.
  • Do you think electric vehicles will become the main type of car people drive in the next 10 years? Why or why not? Discuss.

Emerging Markets and Developing Countries

  • Why do you think Chinese car companies like BYD and Chery are focusing on selling cars in emerging markets and developing countries? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how important is transportation for developing countries? Discuss.
  • Imagine you’re selling a major product. Would you sell it in emerging markets or developed countries? Why? Discuss.