Chinese automaker BYD has quickly grown to become the world’s largest electric vehicle maker, with global sales expected to surpass Tesla Inc. by 2025.
The company, founded in 1995 as a rechargeable battery maker headquartered in Shenzhen, China, has been considered an existential threat to U.S., European and Japanese automakers in recent years.
BYD cars are sold in 112 cities in 102 countries on six continents, and will soon enter the Canadian market as part of a new deal signed by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to its website.
Our northern neighbor recently opened the door slightly to Chinese automakers, saying Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market with a most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1%. Based on market size in 2023-24, this represents less than 3% of the Canadian new car market.
While other brands produce electric vehicles in China, BYD’s global fleet is increasing year by year. Data released by the China Passenger Car Association on January 9 showed that China’s total automobile exports increased by 19% in 2025, reaching 5.79 million units, of which pure electric vehicle exports increased by 49%, reaching 1.52 million units.
According to AlixPartners, Chinese car brands are expected to account for 30% of the global new car market by 2030.
Through the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, the Chinese government funds the development of standard parts standards for automakers. It’s just one of many moves by Chinese automakers to cut costs and speed up production. Competing Western companies rely on vehicle manufacturing supplies that are unique, expensive, or difficult to procure.
The government-controlled system gives China’s emerging auto industry several strategic advantages over foreign automakers by lowering manufacturing and labor costs.
Additionally, China has a higher proportion of trained engineers in its workforce and is adopting artificial intelligence and connected software into its vehicle design and execution processes much faster than its competitors, experts say.
Another huge advantage of the Chinese system is the process by which companies like BYD develop battery technology. They control the entire process, from mining lithium to assembling battery packs.
The result of the Chinese system is a selection of attractive, high-quality and affordable vehicles, ready for volume sales at significantly lower prices than the same vehicles would cost to build in the United States or other countries.
For example, BYD’s Dolphin compact hatchback and Atto 3 compact SUV are priced at $20,000, and the luxury Yangwang U8L (a long-wheelbase version of the off-road SUV) is priced at $180,000.
BYD only produces electric and hybrid models. According to BYDAC, a manufacturer and retailer of aftermarket automotive parts, here are some examples of popular models:
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Seal, a premium electric sedan
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Dolphin compact hatchback
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Tang, a 7-seat SUV with luxurious interior
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Compact SUV Atto 3 (Yuan Plus)
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Han EV and Han L, its flagship executive sedan and high-performance versions
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Song Plus, a mid-size electric SUV with hybrid option
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Qin Plus, a plug-in hybrid sedan
According to the company’s website, Han’s flagship electric vehicle has a range of 375 miles and can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles in 3.9 seconds. It is equipped with all-wheel drive and a complete BYD intelligent driving system.
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Despite its affordable price, BYD claims its vehicles exude luxury quality.
“The interior is equipped with solid wood panels, high-quality Nappa leather seats, aluminum trim and other rare materials not commonly used in high-end luxury cars,” Hanche’s product description reads.
Another vehicle you may have heard of is the Shark 6 pickup truck sold by BYD in Mexico.
Hybrid models include Han DM-i and its upgraded version Han L DM-i and BYD Destroyer 05.
In addition to cars, BYD’s products include freight and rail, transportation, battery energy storage systems and electronics.
Buying a BYD electric vehicle in Canada and then crossing the border into the United States is complicated, but U.S. safety law requirements for imported cars don’t completely rule it out.
Under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988, U.S. citizens can import “nonconforming foreign motor vehicles” for personal use if they can prove they do not intend to resell them.
The cost of the process may still be enough to deter most potential BYD buyers. By law, persons who import substandard foreign automobiles must also post a bond and comply with other terms and conditions determined by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
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The autonomy of BYD’s electric vehicles is a big hurdle to overcome. There is not yet a federal framework to determine the safety of autonomous vehicles (AVs), but one may be in the works.
A more pressing safety concern is the vast amount of data that self-driving cars need to collect and utilize to operate effectively—precise location data, driver behavior data, and vehicle data from sensors and cameras. In other words, the U.S. government is wary of sharing such data directly with foreign automakers with close ties to the Chinese government.
President Donald Trump’s administration imposed 100% tariffs on all Chinese cars in part because of national security risks.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Contact her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit Free Press: China’s BYD electric cars unsaleable in U.S. threaten automakers