In this episode, host John Stech discusses his observations on the Thai and American car cultures. Having lived in Thailand for nearly two years, he compares what he has observed on the streets, at motorshows, and at car meets. While some like to people-watch, John always has his eyes on the cars he encounters everywhere.

Says John, “Cars move us—but in wildly different ways. In America, a chrome grill might gleam with ambition and showy opulence. In Thailand, a dusty pickup truck or sprightly hatchback says: this is life—difficult, communal, and moving forward towards a bright future.”

John compares the two on their cultural bases, with independence being a main theme in American car culture, while interdependence plays a greater role in Thailand.

He briefly explores the impact of popular culture, manufacturing presence, cultural traits that reach back years, as well as changes that are pushing in on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

Buckle your seatbelt, relax, and enjoy the insights and shared experiences from John’s automotive life.

For more information on The Auto Ethnographer you can visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

This week John Stech, host of The Auto Ethnographer, was traveling in Taiwan. He was there to see his wife’s nephew graduate from high school. The five days on the ground were very busy, a packed schedule planned in advance. While there he was inspired to think about the pride that nations and their people feel about locally developed and produced automotive brands.

The visit started and ended in Taipei but much of the time was spent further south in the towns of Nantou, Puli, and Taichung, as well as at the stunningly beautiful Sun Moon Lake area in the Taiwanese mountains.

Urban and intercity transportation was primarily on rail, either the underground MRT or the incredibly fast HSR system (high speed rail). But the Nantou County was more spread out and required rented cars for the extended family. One of those cars was a LUXGEN n7 EV, a vehicle locally developed and produced by Yulon Motors with development cooperation by Foxtron (a part of FoxConn, known for producing Apple iPhones).

It became clear that the family member renting the LUXGEN was proud of the local brand. Well built, stylish, reliable, and packed with technology and a great battery range, the vehicle was certainly worthy of admiration.

John Stech speaks about LUXGEN, the perceived pride in the local automotive player, and the comparative experiences he had with local brands in Vietnam and Russia.

Join in for a short but thoughtful episode on the impact of national pride on a nation’s auto industry.

For more information about LUXGEN, visit the company’s site here (Mandarin Chinese): https://www.luxgen-motor.com.tw/

Learn more about Sun Moon Lake at their homepage: https://www.sunmoonlake.gov.tw/en/

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer, visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com

Dr. Deb Mukherji joins The Auto Ethnographer from Gurugram, India, a city near New Delhi. In today’s episode he helps to unravel the success factors for entering the Indian market as a foreign company, automotive or otherwise.

There are success stories and failures on the Indian market. These are woven into the conversation as we explore the main drivers for success: navigating regulations, technology adapted to local consumers, economics, and the human aspect including culture.

Dr. Mukherji has over 35 years of experience in the Indian automotive industry having worked for several vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers. Well-known brands he served directly or indirectly include Hyundai, Maruti (India’s market leader), Honda, Hindustan, and Omega Seiki Mobility.

His most recent challenge had been the development and launch of Omega Seiki Mobility as the company’s Managing Director between 2018 and 2023. OSM is a startup company focused on electrifying transportation in India primarily in the 3-wheeler and 2-wheeler sectors. In this role he set up several manufacturing sites as well as a 200 dealer distribution network across India.

Between 2010 and 2018 Dr. Mukherji founded and let ADM Technologies, a company that provided business and technical consulting services to both domestic and foreign companies in India. During this time he advised and participated in the building of several manufacturing facilities and businesses.

Prior to 2010 he worked in a variety of manufacturing and supply chain positions within the automotive industry. These included but are not limited to Bestex Marujun India P Ltd. (Honda group company), Caparo Engineering India P Ltd. (an engineering company that set up major projects for clients), and Hongo India Pvt. Ltd. (a JV with Honda Cars India and Honga Japan), and Hindustan Motors. In all cases he focused heavily on setting up manufacturing operations.

Currently, Dr. Mukherji is the Founder and Managing Director of ADM Prime Consulting Pvt. Ltd. a consulting company with focus on clean energy, electric mobility and connectivity businesses, developing strategies, alliances and JVs. ADM Prime have offices in Japan and South Korea offering services to enter the Indian market successfully.

To learn more about ADM Prime Consulting or to contact them please visit the homepage at https://www.admprime.co.in/

The Auto Ethnographer releases weekly podcasts with focus on international cultures and how they impact the automotive industry, although the lessons learned can universally be applied to international business. John Stech, the host of The Auto Ethnographer podcast, has 30 years of experience in the automotive industry with work and living experiences in North America, Latin America, Europe, Egypt, Russia, and Southeast Asia. He loves to explore cultural differences and what makes people who they are around the world.

To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer visit the home page at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com