I was gonna make a snarky comment about how Treebeard has a cool Elvish name, then I looked it up and “Fangorn” literally means “Treebeard” in Sindarin 🤷♂️
I think I understand your point but various European OEMs are making small EVs in the 30k euro or less range that are not being brought to the US market. Examples include the VW ID.2 and ID.3. It’s not like VAG doesn’t have a US presence but they’re still only selling the $40k+ ID.4 and the $60k+ ID Buzz in the US market. The Volvo EX-30 was announced as a $30k+ entry level EV that was supposed to target the lower end of the market but by the time it wound up in the US the base model is now $42k.
I’m not sure how true that is, at least in the USA. Almost all OEMs are targeting the mid to top end of the market for EVs (SUVs, trucks, luxury models). Almost no one is coming out with an entry level model that would be the equivalent of a “Toyota Corolla” EV, that is, a bare bones car that runs on a battery. Yes, there is some protectionism going on with preventing the Chinese from entering the market, but I think most of it is just OEMs trying to maximize profit to a grotesque degree.
When the ID.4 first came out in the US you could direct order from VW. That was probably the best car buying experience I ever had. Dealerships have way too much power and none of that benefits consumers.
A gif of Legolas saying, well, you know.