If you’re the type to follow car news on the internet, you’ve probably heard a lot about Chinese-built electric vehicles recently. This is despite China not being able to sell any of these cars in the United States, due to America having a 100-percent import tariff on vehicles built in China, and a ban on China-developed car software.
The reason the Chinese car industry remains in the news is thanks to its explosive performance everywhere else in the world. In the past decade, Chinese manufacturers have gone from footnotes to worldwide industry juggernauts, producing cutting-edge products—namely EVs and hybrids—that deliver more range and performance for a lower price point than most traditional manufacturers. In 2025, Chinese carmaker BYD overtook Tesla as the biggest seller of EVs.
Due to America’s laws effectively banning new Chinese cars, most people in America have never even seen one, let alone driven one. However, sometimes these manufacturers temporarily bring their cars to the States for testing or marketing purposes. Occasionally, they even let journalists and influencers get behind the wheel.
The Beautiful Chaos Of CES
I got a notification on my phone recently showing me a photo that read, “9 Years Ago, Today.” It was a photo of the presentation hall for Faraday Future during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2017, which was showing off running prototypes for its then-new FF 91 (against all odds, Faraday is still around, albeit just barely). Weirdly, despite working in the auto industry all this time, I’ve managed to avoid going to CES since then. That changes this week.
In 2017, CES was already starting to become a bit of an auto show. Now, though, it feels even bigger than traditional auto shows held in places like New York, Detroit, and Los Angeles. Its tech-heavy undertone means automakers across the planet feel it’s a great place to unveil new concepts and future products—even manufacturers that don’t actually sell things in America.
Chinese manufacturer Geely, which was one of the 10 biggest carmakers on the planet last year, invited The Autopian to the show (or, more specifically, Las Vegas Motor Speedway), to drive a handful of its cars, some of which will be on display in the Geely booth at CES. As I write this, I’m on a plane right now headed there.
Here Are The Cars I’ll Have Access To
Like most huge Chinese manufacturers, Geely has a host of subbrands under its umbrella, with each having its own distinct identity, goals, and design cues. In addition to the main brand, Geely Auto, the company owns Lynk & Co., Zeekr, Livan, and Farizan. It also has controlling stakes in a few brands you’re probably more familiar with: Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, and Smart. It owns Proton, the budget brand founded in Malaysia, and the London Electric Vehicle Company, the firm responsible for building the city’s electric taxis.
While not every brand will be represented in Geely’s lineup for my test, there’s still a healthy amount of cars available for me to drive, according to the brand’s welcome email to me. From the Geely Auto brand, there will be two versions of the EX5 crossover, a hybrid model and an all-electric version. The Geely Starray, a slightly bigger plug-in hybrid, will also be available.
From the Lynk & Co. corner, there’s the 900, an 845-horsepower hybrid with three electric motors that promises Range Rover comfort for about half the price. There’s also the 08 and the 09, two plug-in crossovers. From the Zeekr brand, there’s the X and the 7X, two more crossovers, and the 001, a weird wagon-hatchback-shaped four-door. Zeekr is also bringing the 9X, a big SUV that looks like a cross between a Rolls-Royce Cullinan and an Aurus Senat.
It’s easily the most ridiculous-looking car of the bunch, and the one I’m most excited to drive. It makes 1,381 horsepower from its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, which includes a turbo four-cylinder and a 70-kWh battery. Despite weighing over three tons, Zeekr claims a 0-62 mph time of just 3.1 seconds. If there’s only one car I absolutely have to experience, it’s this one.
I’d like to know: Which of these cars are you most excited to hear about? What do you want to know about these cars? How they drive? The sort of tech they have? How they compare to Western equivalents? I have no idea how much time I’ll have with the cars or their engineers, though, going by the schedule, I should have at least a few hours. Fingers crossed.
Top graphic images: Geely Auto; Lynk & Co.; Zeekr; CES
I’d be interested in knowing how these cars actually drive. Are they fun? Are the driving dynamics good?
Is there any battery tech that is notworthy, in terms of range/efficiency, or charging speed?
So many Chinese EV articles turn into a bunch of software talk, or their value in terms of price. It would be great to hear if there’s anything interesting about how they are to drive.
Seconded on this, my latest purchase is essentially a blend of Chinese hardware + Japanese tuning (Changan-Mazda), and in terms of driving dynamics it’s lightyears ahead of the domestic competition, probably only beaten by the Xiaomi SU7.
I think it’s a reflection of the priorities of the domestic Chinese market; people want sporty looking cars that can still seat 5 or 7 comfortably while remaining unfussy to drive, and you end up with uninspired handling and a mess of suspension tuning, unclear and undetermined in its dedication towards either comfort or sporting prowess. Active damping and cheap air suspension act as stopgap measures, but right now a lot of Chinese cars (esp. EVs) are just too dull or outright disappointing to drive. Best enjoyed seated in the second or third row.
Some reviewers are starting to compare the Chinese evs to market standard cars especially in Europe they will be compared to euro brands and sometimes Japanese. I find that useful especially as euro build quality going down and Chinese build quality going up. Also little things that you would expect to have that for some reason the Chinese cars might or additions you are surprised about. For instance some of the Chinese cars don’t have the pressure equaliziaton flap for the cabin while some others have wild features like full massage seafs and some little ai robot thing. The everyday people cars are most interesting but I guess it applies to all. I haven’t seen many comparing to American cars for obvious reasons I gusss but could be interesting getting into a GM or Ford and then a Chinese and how they compare and who did what better.
Great need for better styling
Since Mexico is a growing market for Chinese vehicles and Canada may start accepting them soon, do expect China’s EVs to flood the U.S. market as soon as tariffs are reduced due to pent up demand from Americans needing cheap transportation and curious about all the Mexicans and Canadians driving them around?.
Zeekr 7X, it’s been making big waves here in Aus due to seemingly hitting all points around design, price, equipment, range.
do they have tesla like panel gaps and build quality issues
Who do I need to pay off to bring the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra here?
I want the most Camry of them. What are the stats on a brand new middle of the road EV, and what’s the cost, in the forbidden future? Anyone can make an exotic – but who can make a sedan for the masses, and what’s it cost, and what do you get?
What are the new luxuries?
Not so interested in these vehicles, but what would be quite interesting instead is to see if this is real- https://www.donutlab.com/battery/. Maybe ask them if you can put a pick axe through the battery, to test its safety.
Maybe a chainsaw for something more Autopian flavoured?
No nice sport coupes or sedans?
I am excited about and/or interested in none of these
Shineray E3 or go home
I just want to know how long it will last. Hard to do this in cherry-picked vehicles, possibly not the same as what’s for sale, for a PR stunt.
I want to know what the Chinese (and our) manufacturers are doing with all the chemical waste.
You probably don’t want this answer.
Well… unless you enjoy being horrified.
Straight into the baby formula
Start by asking the petroleum industry, or do you want to be willfully ignorant of all the damage and chaos they’ve caused?
Yes! I’d also like to keep pretending the fossil fuels industry isn’t the recipient of billions of dollars of direct and indirect subsidies.
I’d also like to keep suggesting that the waste produced by battery production isn’t a once-off manufacturing cost but needs to be constantly incurred during the vehicle’s lifetime the same as fossil fuels.
While we’re at it, let’s also beg the question of industrial waste being an inevitable result of all manufacturing, assume that nothing can be done to mitigate pollution being written off as an externality, and assume that any solution that doesn’t immediately thrive on the free market isn’t worth pursuing.
Oh! I also I want to keep ignoring that federal and state governments subsidized initial automotive infrastructure buildout while claiming the same investment in electric is `forcing’ it on people.
Does that work for you? Because that works for me, thanks.
The waste produced by battery production IS a one time thing. Unlike oil, which needs to be dug out of the ground and refined and your car needs a continuous diet of the stuff throughout its life.
That was the point Kleinlowe was making, precisely.
“direct and indirect subsidies.”
Can you please explain to me, in lay man’s terms, is a hostile takeover of another country categorized as direct or indirect subsidies.
We all know that, and fight it. We do not know what the huge corporations are doing with this waste, all we know is that when they do it in China there is no law that cannot be instantly modified to provide trade advantage.
When do they catch fire?? Will the ship catch on fire bringing them over here?? More Tofu Dreg crap. Can’t sell them. Chinese are dumping thousands of their electric cars in other countries around the world. Parking lots full of them! Pollution during production. Pollution while rotting. Buyer Beware!!
If they were really that bad they would have failed in the marketplace and the US government wouldn’t be falling over itself to ban them.
I want to hear about the regular cars.
The ones that would have a place as the “people’s car”, ones that help reduce the average purchase cost of a new vehicle.
But, also, can they make a car in red rather than just more shades of grey, flat grey, metallic grey, dark grey, blue grey, beige grey, black, and white?
Seriously, it’s like there’s some kind of Red Scare going on in the industry!
Every generation needs a boogeyman. The Russians are currently out of contention, so now we have the Chinese.
Solid State Batteries.
I think this is probably the biggest news in the EV industry for the next 2 years.
Seriously, will they build them here to avoid the tariffs and the ire of the Orange Man?
Secondarily, are they so much better than what we have access to under the current circumstances?
I’m happy enough with a paid-off ’17 Accord with 73K miles on the clock, that was built in Ohio.
But have a good time. I used to do the NAB show, which was the second biggest trade show in LV back in the day. Between setup, the show and teardown/pack up, seven days a year I would never get back. But some fun was had.
I would like to see them bring a battery swap unit along with a basic swap station for review. it would be nice to be able to just pull up and let a battery swap in as you wait for initialization or something.
Can they do sick jumps?
I second this notion
Ask every manufacturer rep about the technology in the cars, let them expound on the wonderful capabilities and features, then ask how you can disable all of these features and note their level of confusion at this very notion.
Anything that can be done to verify (or not) the lofty and frankly unbelievable claims of some of these manufacturers would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve been beating this drum for a while, but the tone of unquestioning deference to Chinese companies’ press release claims on this site is one of my biggest disappointments.
And on the other site as well….
Yeah the level of reverence both here and the old lighting site have for Chinese EVs is downright weird. I get that there’s some cool engineering going on and that that’s relevant to our conversations but I really don’t think China is the EV utopia it’s claimed to be and I have very strong doubts that the products will actually hold up to scrutiny.
Chinese manufacturing has always been fast and cheap. Clearly that doesn’t bother anyone when it comes to disposable products but a car is the second biggest purchase most people make. I get that the Chinese press releases claim all of the cars have a gazillion miles of range and can break the sound barrier or whatever but I’d sure like to see some unbiased folks take a crack at verifying those claims.
I think folks need to raise their expectations for Chinese cars. There are reasons domestic automakers are afraid of them and lobbied for protection. And there are reasons writers seem to talk highly of them.
I’ve driven some Chinese cars in the EU, and there’s really nothing that sticks out. The ones I’ve driven were all as well put together any anything we can get. I see no reason to expect anything different from the EVs.
China isn’t going to go through the phase Hyundai did when they first arrived. They’re already there.
It’s the Japanese auto industry all over again.
Chinese manufacturers are no different than any other.
They will build whatever you want to whatever price point you request.
Cheaply made products? There’s your cheap price. Want high end? You’re gonna pay a lot more. Exactly where do you think a lot of their engineer were educated anyway? Right here, along with ours.
The ICE engine in my old car was made in China. It has seen well over 200k miles of abuse, including towing and one-wheel-peel FWD burnouts. It’s still in great shape, has never failed, has required minimal maintenance, and may even have another 100k miles left in it if it weren’t for the rest of the car rusting. That engine was designed by Toyota and produced in China under contract for Toyota.
The ICE engine in my wife’s old car was made in South Korea. It was an unreliable POS that we sold at 60k miles. It was designed by a GM subsidiary in China and produced in South Korea for Chevrolet.
China is capable of exceptionally good manufacturing. Their design and engineering has historically been questionable, but the nation has been pouring resources into EV drivetrain engineering. That said, I agree that someone should validate their marketing claims.
I mean I’m a guitarist who has rather expensive taste in instruments and there’s a company called Eastman that makes high end traditionally styled and equipped guitars in China that are apparently incredible and still slightly cheaper that getting high end American made equivalents from companies like Gibson and PRS. I haven’t tried one myself, but if I was in the market for a high end single cut (Les Paul style guitar if you’re not familiar) I’d certainly do my due diligence and I wouldn’t be concerned with the country of origin in the slightest.
“lofty and frankly unbelievable claims”
What would those be?
Range, recharge times, 1300 hp 4 cylinder crossovers, etc.
Maybe these will help clear things up:
American Test Of Three Chinese EVs: ‘It’s A Wake-Up Call’
https://insideevs.com/news/724040/chinese-ev-xpeng-zeekr-tesla/
EV range claims from BYD, Tesla, others scrutinised in new real-world testing:
https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/ev-range-claims-from-byd-tesla-others-scrutinised-in-new-real-world-testing
BYD’s 5-Minute EV Fast Charging: We Tried It. It’s A Game-Changer:
“I almost didn’t believe it. So while I was in China for the Shanghai Auto Show, I knew I had to see it for myself. And after a flight to Beijing for a technical briefing and demonstration, to which InsideEVs was the sole Western outlet invited, I can confirm that five-minute fast-charging is very real.”
https://insideevs.com/news/758625/byd-megawatt-charging-demo-china/
Massachusetts man test drives 1300 HP Chinese EV and can’t believe it’s actually legal
https://supercarblondie.com/massachusetts-youtuber-tries-chinese-cars-including-zeekr-001-fr-1300-horsepower-chinese-ev/
The last thing you should do on one test drive is shout “Taiwan will never be part of communist China!!!” and see if it bricks the vehicle.
Funny, or will it shut off the HVAC and lock the doors?
Yes, then transport you to the nearest reeducation camp.
Ha!
What is the ACTUAL range for these cars? The system used domestically in China, and cited by those manufacturers is notoriously inaccurate. … or maybe I’m wrong? Inquiring minds want to know.
I doubt you’ll drive one long enough to get an accurate number, but it would be interesting.
This was what I was going to ask. The CLTC test cycle is extraordinarily optimistic and nearly meaningless. For example the long range Model 3 magically gains something like 120 miles of range in China. I would love some sort of real world testing.
The CLTC cycle is utterly unrealistic here, but it’s possible to achieve that in the right environment.
EVs do best when putzing around at about 30-40mph. Stop-and-go isn’t a big deal as long as one refrains from using the brakes. Regen tends to be very efficient.
For a few times when the going got right I was able to achieve a projected 400+ mile range in my Polestar 3. The EPA rating for that is 315 miles which is do-able at up to about 65mph average highway speed. Above that it starts falling off.
I think the EPA range is more of the outlier. The EU’s WLTP range number is closer to the CLTC number. The EU and China typically have lower driving speeds whereas the US is the land of the freeways and speeds are a lot higher. High speed driving really kills the range of any EV.
My big question is “Would they sell in the U.S. if they were rebadged to avoid the stereotypes?”
…and the tariffs!
Our strange dual-mindedness is one where we applaud iPhones but deride Chinese cars. It’s a strange situation (software/security aside) where were just turn our backs on a bunch of seemingly-competitive vehicles in an effort to prop up our own industry.
All I keep thinking is that a test run of sub-$25k Chinese EVs might be exactly what the US market needs. If they follow the rules and the cars perform well, maybe we open the door to selling fancier models here, or at least joint ventures with US manufacturing.
That would be communism, sir. In this country we believe in free trade, capitalism, and all the benefits and innovation that fair competition brings to the marketplace. Wait, what? Oh, my bad.
Agreed, it is an odd contradiction. I think one of the biggest differentiators is Apple’s ever present “designed and engineered in California” mantra. I think in a lot of people’s minds, a US product manufactured in China is very different from a Chinese product manufactured in China.
Kinda what I’d love to see happen in Canada. We’ve always liked small cars here… and with the current domestics turning their backs on that, perhaps China can replace that part of the market.
Buick Envision and Envista seem to get a pass from most of the anti-Chinese brandophiles.
The CT6 PHEV did too. My parents had one for a while. It was just as well put together and dependable as the US version of the CT6 was.
the NADM Envista is made in South Korea (so is it a daewoo in spirit?)
and I don’t think the Average Joe knows that the Envision is made in China.
The 2026 Buick Envista for North America is primarily assembled in South Korea at GM’s Bupyeong plant, though some are also built in China at SAIC-GM facilities.
Lynk & Co = Zelda, Ltd.
BYD = CZE
Geely = Golly
Zeekr = Zearchr
Livan = Good Man
It’s hard to know. On one hand everyone wants and needs affordable cars since capitalism killed them off…but I’m not so sure if people would line up to buy cheap Chinese BEVs. The amount of time, effort, and resources that have been incinerated to make our population hate EVs is absolutely staggering, and has been staggeringly effective.
Like massive swaths of the US just outright disdain EVs. Many if not most of those folks are all part of the cult of orange man and have proven time and time again that they’ll literally die for him, and even on the less extreme end they continue to line up to vote against their own self interests. Even if you offer an EV that’s better, cheaper, more reliable, etc. I think a lot of them would keep financing trucks on 84 month loans to own the libs.
There’s also the fact that China is an adversary, and that coupled with the festering, rotting, 7,246 times reheated Red Scare leftovers would also make the cars a tough sell. Hell I lean way left on almost every issue but I still wouldn’t drive a Chinese EV because I don’t want Winnie The Pooh spying on me or to give my money to a country that’s doing myriad crimes against humanity (yes I know the US is currently doing war crimes, don’t look at me I didn’t vote for this nincompoop).
Suffice to say, I’m not sure if they’d be the runaway success that many people think they’d be.
Americans have also been trained to be suspicious of single-payer health insurance – which hasn’t been an issue for the citizens of the first-world countries on this planet.
And there’s far more data on our phones and laptops which can be hacked and sent to China than would be in any car – Oh, but all that data is going to our happy friendly friends at Google and Meta….
I’m confident that our billionaire tech overlords will act in our best interests!!!!
Inconvenient truths.
SO well written thanks! The cultists I know see EVs as a masculinity threat.
And while I can call you an EV driving libertard who drinks fancy-nancy coffee and votes for women – don’t you dare connect my GOD-GIVEN-RIGHT for eight-plus cylinders and a three ton vehicle with my small hands and feet.
Yeah, I think enough people have been trained to be open to bringing brands and goods with funny names that come on boats from the other side of the Pacific Ocean into their homes for the past several decades that cars with low prices won’t be much of a stretch.
Weird, the handful of EV drivers I know are former muscle car guys, motorcyclists, luxury aficionados, etc.
I can’t speak for what’s going around on the intarwebs for this subculture, but the days of making fun of hybrid and EV drivers feel long gone from where I sit (in the heart of AL, no less). If anything, EVs are more of a conversation starter.
Even my dyed-in-the-wool gearhead uncle, former professional mudbogger and dirt track racer, and owner of multiple auto salvage yards recently bought…a Hummer EV. Yeah, not much green cred there, but he absolutely loves it.
Semi-serious competition guy here. I got banned from my local non-affiliated autocross group from competing with an old 500e. Everyone complained about my off the line and off the cones acceleration.
Well that’s a different level of threat than a personal one 🙂
And probably a good reason they need classes to cover anything EV or electric-assist, it can definitely be an advantage any time you need short bursts of acceleration
I was just talking to missus about this, while driving in our Polestar 3. We honestly have no idea what part of 4s 0-60; instantaneous 620 ft-lb of torque, and $0.10/mile energy cost makes EV ownership “gay.”
I’m happy with the car, so I guess by the classical definition I’m the g-word.
When I am in the rural upper midwest overlanding, camping, canoeing, and off roading (ND, MN, WI) it seems that it is a combination of anything new is bad, solar and wind was from the 70s so dirty effeminate hippies like it, manly men dig and burn stuff (extraction economy) iron and coal miners are real men, working on gas motors is manly, all of our hobbies are gas powered so and EV is cultural genocide and we cannot drive 1.5 hrs to the grocery store towing our camper and sidexsides with an EV. I disagree with all of it but this is the arguments I hear all the time.
I think at the moment the US is more of a rogue nation than China.
Like the Chinese MG?
GAC could set up in Wichita with the Trumpchi brand. The initial vehicles could be white roof, blue paint and red wheel SUV’s. They’d sell every one! No rebranding needed!