A motoring mechanic has been left stunned after dismantling a Chinese electric car and looking inside. Surprisingly, a Spanish mechanic found the MG ZS was fitted with some of the most important European brands in the sector, despite being owned by a Chinese firm.
The mechanic supposedly pulled out a battery made by the prestigious German brand Varta, while the belts were found to be from the North American firm Gates. Some of the car’s brake components were built by the German brand Atem, while the car’s control unit was said to be designed by Bosch. The MGZS is one of the leading compact SUVs across Europe and has been a market leader in Spain.
The car is one of the most affordable on the market, with vehicles on sale in the UK for just over the £20,000 mark.
Speaking on a TikTok video and quoted by El Debate Motor, the mechanic explained: “Let’s start with the battery. You probably know that the largest battery manufacturers are Varta, Tudor, and Yuasa.
“Well, this car has a Varta battery, which is German. So, MG uses a Varta battery. Next up: belts. What brand of belts does it use? Daiko? Continental? Gates?
“In this case, it uses Gates. Focus in a bit—see if you can zoom in. As you can see, it clearly says Gates, which is an American brand. So far: German battery (Varta), American belt (Gates).”
A closer look inside the car showed the mass air flow meter was also developed by Continental, used on the road by top brands such as BMW and Mercedes. Finally, the expert identified the tyres from Michelin, one of the best manufacturers on the market.
The findings suggest that despite their cheaper upfront costs, some Chinese brands were still using established products for some key components.
The mechanic added: “To summarise: mostly German brands so far. Out of the five or six main components we’ve checked, they’re mostly European brands. In other words, they use practically the same brands as any European car.
“So ask yourself: is it worth spending money on this car? Instead of being 100% Chinese, it turns out to have about 40% European parts. You have the final say. I’m just showing you what’s inside, so you can decide for yourself.”