Are Any Cars Made in China Sold in the US?

Yes, cars made in China are sold in the US-but not the way most people think. You won’t find a Chinese brand like BYD or Geely on every American dealership lot, but Chinese-made vehicles are already here, quietly filling garages and charging stations across the country.

Chinese-made EVs are already driving on U.S. roads

The biggest example? Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. It’s not a Chinese company, but it’s a factory in China that builds cars for American customers. Since 2019, Tesla has shipped over 1.5 million Model 3s and Model Ys from Shanghai to the U.S. These aren’t imported as knockoffs-they’re identical to the ones made in Texas and California, but built faster and cheaper in China. In 2024, nearly 40% of all Model Ys sold in the U.S. came from China. That’s one in every two Model Ys on American streets.

Then there’s the new wave: Chinese EV brands. BYD started selling the Dolphin and Atto 3 in Mexico and South America in 2023, and by 2025, it had cleared regulatory hurdles to enter the U.S. market. The BYD Sealion 7, a midsize SUV, began arriving at select dealerships in California and New York. It’s priced at $38,000-$5,000 under a comparable Tesla Model Y. No marketing blitz. No celebrity ads. Just a car with a 400-mile range, a 15.6-inch touchscreen, and a battery made in China.

Why don’t you see more Chinese brands?

It’s not that they’re banned. It’s that they’re blocked by politics, not policy. The U.S. government doesn’t ban Chinese-made cars outright, but it makes it hard. Tariffs on Chinese EVs hit 100% in 2024 under Section 301. That’s not on the car itself-it’s on the battery cells and critical minerals. So even if a car is assembled in China, if it uses a Chinese-made battery, the price jumps.

That’s why most Chinese automakers are avoiding direct exports. Instead, they’re partnering with U.S. companies. NIO, for example, teamed up with a Texas-based firm to rebrand its ET5 as a “North American-built” EV, even though the chassis and battery still come from China. The car gets a new name, a U.S. warranty, and a U.S. service center-but the heart is still in Shanghai.

Chinese-made internal combustion engines? Rare, but not gone

You won’t find a Chinese-made gas-powered sedan in a U.S. dealership today. That’s not because of tariffs-it’s because Chinese automakers never really tried. For decades, China focused on building cheap cars for its own market. When they started exporting, they went straight to EVs. The global shift away from gas engines made that decision smarter.

There are exceptions. In 2022, a small shipment of 300 Dongfeng Fengguang 580 SUVs made it to the U.S. as “show cars” for a distributor in Florida. They were never sold to the public. The EPA never certified them for emissions. They were just there to show what’s possible. No one bought one. But the fact they arrived at all proves it’s legally possible.

How do Chinese cars get past U.S. safety and emissions rules?

Every car sold in the U.S. must meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and EPA emissions rules. That’s not optional. Chinese automakers don’t skip this. They pay for certification.

BYD spent over $12 million testing its Sealion 7 in U.S. crash labs. They added U.S.-spec airbags, reprogrammed the brake software to meet NHTSA standards, and installed a U.S.-approved tire pressure monitoring system. The car was built in China, but the software and safety tweaks were done with U.S. engineers in Michigan.

It’s expensive. That’s why only big players can do it. A startup like XPeng would need $20 million just to certify one model. That’s why most Chinese EV makers are waiting for a U.S. partner to handle the cost.

What about the “Made in China” label?

Every car sold in the U.S. must have a label on the driver’s side door showing where it was built. If it’s assembled in China, it says “Made in China.” No hiding it. That’s why Tesla’s Shanghai-built Model Ys have the label. So do the BYDs.

But here’s the twist: most American buyers don’t care. A 2024 J.D. Power survey found that 68% of EV shoppers in California and New York said they’d buy a Chinese-made car if it had a good warranty and low price. Only 19% said they’d avoid it because of where it was made. That’s a big shift from five years ago.

Are Chinese cars safe?

Yes. The Euro NCAP and C-NCAP crash tests (China’s version) are now more rigorous than the old U.S. tests. The BYD Sealion 7 scored five stars in C-NCAP’s 2024 test. It has 10 airbags, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keeping assist-all standard.

When the same model was tested under U.S. standards by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), it earned a “Top Safety Pick+” rating. That’s the same rating Tesla’s Model Y got. The car doesn’t change just because it crosses the Pacific.

What’s next?

By 2026, over 15 Chinese EV models are expected to be available in the U.S. Some will be direct imports. Others will be rebadged by U.S. dealers. Rivian has already talked about sourcing battery packs from CATL, a Chinese company, for its next-gen vans.

Chinese factories are the most efficient in the world. They can build a battery pack for $85 per kWh. U.S. factories are still at $120. That gap won’t close fast. So even if tariffs stay high, Chinese-made parts will keep showing up in American cars-because they’re cheaper, better, and faster.

Should you buy a Chinese-made car?

If you’re looking for value, yes. A Chinese-made EV gives you more range, more tech, and a lower price than most U.S.-built rivals. The warranty? BYD offers 8 years or 160,000 miles on the battery. Tesla offers 8 years but only 120,000 miles. The difference? $10,000 in savings.

There’s no downside if you buy from a certified dealer. No hidden risks. No safety compromises. Just a car built in China, sold in America, and backed by a U.S. service network.

The truth? The U.S. doesn’t make enough EVs to meet demand. And Chinese factories are the only ones that can fill the gap-at scale, at speed, and at a price that works. The cars are here. The question isn’t whether they’re allowed. It’s whether you’re ready to drive one.