Chinese auto sales hit record levels last year – both at home and abroad. Automakers like BYD and Geely saw exports grow 400% since the beginning of the decade, making major inroads in markets like Europe and Latin America. For now, only a handful of Chinese vehicles are sold in the U.S., the Biden administration quadrupling tariffs last year. But a new study shows many American buyers eagerly hoping to see the market open up, with younger motorists particularly interested in Chinese vehicles.
It’s been the subject of speculation for weeks, “knowledgeable sources” chattering amongst themselves about the possibility China’s BYD is in talks with Stellantis as it looks for a way to crack into the U.S. market. The two makers have firmly dismissed the rumors. But there seems little doubt Chinese automakers want to target the world’s second-largest automotive market and are sniffing around the North American auto industry looking for a way to break in.
Volvo has “delayed” the U.S. launch of the EX30 battery-electric vehicle due to new tariffs on Chinese-made EVs announced in May by the Biden administration. That delay appears likely to last until at least sometime in 2025 when the automaker plans to begin production of the EX30 at a second plant in Ghent, Belgium.
The auto industry is in the midst of the most unsettling shake-up its seen in more than a century and that’s likely force radical change in not only what products manufacturers bring to market but how and where they sell them. For one thing, Detroit automakers should consider pulling out of China, said Bank of America analyst John Murphy as part of his annual “Car Wars” study.