Chinese competitor overtakes Tesla to become world’s largest EV seller
Chinese rival BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller.
- A recent poll shows that while a majority of Canadians are willing to buy an electric car made in China, most Americans are not.
- Canada has signed a new trade agreement that will allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs to enter the market with a 6.1% tariff.
- Chinese electric car maker BYD does not sell electric vehicles in the United States due to high tariffs and restrictive federal regulations.
Recent polls show that a majority of Canadians are willing to buy an electric car made in China, but Americans remain far more skeptical of Chinese-made cars.
Fifty-three per cent of Canadians say knowing that an EV is made in China does not affect their car-buying decision, according to a new poll conducted by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News. 1,009 Canadians participated in the survey.
The numbers are in sharp contrast to a Jan. 12 poll conducted by EVs for All America, an advocacy group that works with automakers to push U.S. and state legislatures to adopt EV-friendly policies. It found that 54% of 600 potential U.S. EV buyers said they had a negative opinion of Chinese car brands.
The findings come after China and Canada announced a recent agreement allowing thousands of Chinese-made EVs to be imported into North America. Under the agreement, Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese-made electric vehicles into its market at a so-called “most-favoured nation” tariff rate of 6.1%.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office said in a statement that the amount of Chinese-made EVs allowed for sale in Canada “represents the full year (2023-2024) prior to the recent trade dispute regarding these imports, and represents less than 3% of the market for new cars sold in Canada.”
According to multiple media reports, Chinese EV maker BYD, currently the world’s top electric vehicle manufacturer, wants to sell 1.3 million EVs outside China, Li Yunfei, general manager of BYD’s brand and public relations department, said at a recent press conference in Shanghai.
What do BYD’s international sales plans mean for U.S. EV buyers?
BYD’s electric vehicles are not sold in the U.S. due to factors such as high tariffs and federal regulations regarding connected car technology and vehicle safety standards.
BYD currently sells commercial vehicles in the U.S., but the CEO of the company’s U.S. subsidiary said in an interview that he believes the U.S. market is “too restrictive.”
The Trump administration has imposed 100% tariffs on all Chinese imports, including cars, making it financially prohibitive for BYD to sell cars in the US.
Can US drivers buy BYD EVs in Canada?
Federal laws regarding imported cars would also make it difficult for U.S. drivers to buy and drive cars in Canada or Mexico and bring them into the country. The rule requires vehicles to go through a lengthy customs process to prove compliance with existing federal motor vehicle safety laws.
Persons importing non-conforming foreign vehicles must also pay a deposit and comply with other Department of Transportation terms and conditions.
How many cars did BYD sell in 2025?
According to the company’s December sales report, BYD sold 4,602,436 passenger cars and commercial vehicles in 2025.
Sales included 2,256,714 battery electric vehicles, 2,288,709 plug-in hybrid vehicles, and 57,013 commercial vehicles.
What does the Trump administration say about that?
The Trump administration criticized Canadian officials for striking a trade deal with China.
“If you think Governor Carney is trying to turn Canada into a ‘port of call’ for China to send goods and products to the United States, you are sorely mistaken,” President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on January 24.
“China will devour Canada alive and completely, including the destruction of its business, social fabric and way of life in general,” Trump wrote.
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also appeared at the Washington Auto Show on January 22 and said he thought Canadian officials would regret the deal that allowed Chinese EVs to enter the market.
“The world is going to be consumed by China, and China is going to dominate all manufacturing, and we can’t allow that to happen,” Duffy said. “I want to keep these vehicles developed, manufactured and the American spirit here in our country.”
