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North Korea, known for its strict policies and secrecy, recently found itself at the center of a new technology controversy. The promise of an electric car with an impressive 720 km of autonomy, supposedly developed in-house, left the world curious. But is this innovation truly North Korean or just another case of rebranding?
The company Madusan Economic Federation, founded in 2018 in Pyongyang, announced the development of the Madusan EV, an electric car that promises to be revolutionary.
The autonomy of 720 km was the main highlight, but experts and Asian neighbors, especially in China and South Korea, received the news with skepticism.
These doubts about the announcement began to emerge when images of the supposed Madusan EV revealed more than it seemed at first glance.
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Unmasking the Madusan EV
According to the site carnewschina, recently released images show what the Madusan EV would look like running on a road on a rainy day.
The car in question, however, was clearly a BYD Han, a well-known Chinese electric model that It was even the topic of an article here at Click Petróleo e Gás. The only visible changes were the removal of the BYD logos and replacement with the Madusan EV name.
Rebranding: Madusan's true strategy
According to The Korea Herald, the Madusan Economic Federation is not exactly a manufacturer, but rather an importer. The company sources electronic products, mainly from China, and resells them in North Korea under its own brand.
This process is known as rebranding, that is, when a company buys products from another brand and sells them under its own name. This process is not new for Madusan, which does the same with cell phones, televisions and other electronic devices.
The myth of 720 km of autonomy
The claim that the Madusan EV could achieve 720 km of range raised eyebrows, especially since not even BYD Han itself, in its original version, can achieve this feat. Even using the Chinese measurement standard, which tends to present more favorable results, this autonomy is not achieved.
The automotive market in North Korea
In North Korea, the automotive industry is small and highly controlled. The use of automobiles is restricted to a very limited portion of the population, generally linked to the government. The main vehicle brand in the country is Pyeonghwa Motors, which also depends on licenses and patents from foreign manufacturers, such as Fiat, SsangYong and Brilliance, to produce its cars.
Chinese cars and local industry
The import of Chinese vehicles into North Korea is nothing new. Geographical proximity and political relationships facilitate this exchange, allowing Chinese brands to find a market in North Korea. Pyeonghwa Motors, for example, uses production licenses to manufacture models based on cars from several international brands.
The future of Madusan EV
There is still no concrete information about the start of sales of the Madusan EV. The electric vehicle remains in the testing phase and commercialization has not been confirmed. However, the story of the Madusan EV raises questions about the authenticity of North Korean technological innovations and the real state of its automotive industry.
In any case, the Madusan EV case is yet another example of the complexities involving North Korea. A country surrounded by mystery and strict policies, where even technological products have hidden stories.
But, reader, do you believe that North Korea really produced this electric car or is this just another story that aims to deceive the people who live there. Leave your opinion in the comments!
North Korea SURPRISES by announcing local electric car with a range of more than 700 km. The problem is that the model, in reality, is a vehicle produced by the Chinese BYD
North Korea, known for its strict policies and secrecy, recently found itself at the center of a new technology controversy. The promise of an electric car with an impressive 720 km of autonomy, supposedly developed in-house, left the world curious. But is this innovation truly North Korean or just another case of rebranding?
The company Madusan Economic Federation, founded in 2018 in Pyongyang, announced the development of the Madusan EV, an electric car that promises to be revolutionary.
The autonomy of 720 km was the main highlight, but experts and Asian neighbors, especially in China and South Korea, received the news with skepticism.
These doubts about the announcement began to emerge when images of the supposed Madusan EV revealed more than it seemed at first glance.
Unmasking the Madusan EV
According to the CarNewsChina website, recently released images show what the Madusan EV would look like running on a road on a rainy day.
The car in question, however, was clearly a BYD Han, a well-known Chinese electric model that It was even the topic of an article here at Click Petróleo e Gás. The only visible changes were the removal of the BYD logos and replacement with the Madusan EV name.
Rebranding: Madusan's true strategy
According to The Korea Herald, the Madusan Economic Federation is not exactly a manufacturer, but rather an importer. The company sources electronic products, mainly from China, and resells them in North Korea under its own brand.
This process is known as rebranding, that is, when a company buys products from another brand and sells them under its own name. This process is not new for Madusan, which does the same with cell phones, televisions and other electronic devices.
The myth of 720 km of autonomy
The claim that the Madusan EV could achieve 720 km of range raised eyebrows, especially since not even BYD Han itself, in its original version, can achieve this feat. Even using the Chinese measurement standard, which tends to present more favorable results, this autonomy is not achieved.
The automotive market in North Korea
In North Korea, the automotive industry is small and highly controlled. The use of automobiles is restricted to a very limited portion of the population, generally linked to the government.
The main vehicle brand in the country is Pyeonghwa Motors, which also depends on licenses and patents from foreign manufacturers, such as Fiat, SsangYong and Brilliance, to produce its cars.
Because of this, the import of Chinese vehicles to North Korea is not new. Geographical proximity and political relationships facilitate this exchange, allowing Chinese brands to find a market in North Korea.
Pyeonghwa Motors, for example, uses production licenses to manufacture models based on cars from several international brands.
The Future of Madusan EV in North Korea
There is still no concrete information about the start of sales of the Madusan EV. The electric vehicle remains in the testing phase and commercialization has not been confirmed. However, the story of the Madusan EV raises questions about the authenticity of North Korean technological innovations and the real state of its automotive industry.
In any case, the Madusan EV case is yet another example of the complexities involving North Korea. A country surrounded by mystery and strict policies, where even technological products have hidden stories.
But, reader, do you believe that North Korea really produced this electric car or is this just another story that aims to deceive the people who live there. Leave your opinion in the comments!
It seems that this company pretends to be a manufacturer and is not an importer. So whoever wrote this article pretends to be a journalist, but didn't even proofread one copy and paste after another... Do you agree?
The columnist is really very creative in his assumptions without knowledge of the matter, or he copies and translates very well the text he was told to publish. Congratulations on your obedience to the defamation network sponsored by the “Western media”.
LOL **** socialist this is new