Jan. 29, 2026, 10:18 a.m. ET
- BYD vehicles are sold in over 112 cities across 102 countries spanning six continents, according to its website.
- According to AlixPartners, Chinese car brands are expected to make up 30% of the global new vehicle market by 2030.
Chinese automaker BYD Co. has quickly grown to become the world’s largest electric-vehicle maker, outselling Tesla Inc. on a global scale in 2025.
The company, founded as a rechargeable battery maker in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, has been singled out in recent years as an existential threat to American, European and Japanese automakers.
BYD vehicles are sold in over 112 cities across 102 countries spanning six continents, according to its website, and are soon to enter the Canadian market as part of a new deal inked by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Our neighbor to the north opened the door, slightly, to Chinese automakers recently, saying Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles into its market, with the most-favored-nation tariff rate of 6.1%. That represents less than 3% of the Canadian market for new vehicles based on the market size between 2023-2024.
While other brands make EVs in China, the number of BYDs driven worldwide increases each year. Data released Jan. 9 from the China Passenger Car Association showed that overall car exports from China jumped 19% to 5.79 million vehicles in 2025, while exports of pure battery electric vehicles rose 49% to 1.52 million vehicles.
According to AlixPartners, Chinese car brands are expected to make up 30% of the global new vehicle market by 2030.
How BYD can make EVs so cheaply
Through the China Automotive Technology & Research Center, the Chinese government subsidizes the development of standards across its automakers for standard components. It’s just one step among many that keeps costs down and production quicker for Chinese car manufacturers. Competing western companies rely on unique, expensive or difficult to source supplies for vehicle manufacturing.
The government controlled system gives China’s nascent auto industry several strategic advantages over foreign automakers by lowering manufacturing costs and also lowering the cost of labor.
In addition, experts say, China boasts a higher percentage of trained engineers among its workforce and has embraced artificial intelligence and connective software in vehicle design and execution processes far quicker than its competitors.
Another huge advantage of the Chinese system is the process by which companies like BYD develop their battery technology. They control the entire process, from mining lithium to putting battery packs together.
The result of the Chinese system is a selection of attractive, high-quality and affordable vehicles, ready to sell at volume for a fraction of the price the same vehicles would cost if manufactured in the U.S. or other countries.
BYD models, for example, sell from $20,000 for a Dolphin compact hatchback and Atto 3 compact SUV to $180,000 for a luxury Yangwang U8L, a long wheelbase version of an off-road SUV.
Some popular BYD models
BYD produces only electric and hybrid models. Here’s a sample of some popular models, according to BYDAC, an aftermarket automotive accessories manufacturer and retailer:
- Seal, a premium electric sedan
- Dolphin compact hatchback
- Tang, a 7-seater SUV with luxury interior
- Atto 3 (Yuan Plus), a compact SUV
- Han EV and Han L, its flagship executive sedan and high performance version
- Song Plus, a midsize electric SUV with hybrid option
- Qin Plus, a plug-in hybrid sedan
The Han flagship EV boasts a 375-mile range and can go from 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, according to the company website. It’s equipped with all-wheel drive and the Complete BYD Intelligent Driving System.
Despite the affordable prices, BYD claims its vehicles exude luxurious qualities.
“The interiors are equipped with solid wooden panels, high-quality Napa leather seats, aluminum trims and rare materials that are not commonly used in other high-end luxury vehicles,” according to a product description of the Han vehicle.
Another model you might have heard of is the Shark 6 pickup that BYD sells in Mexico.
Hybrid models include the Han DM-i and its upgraded Han L DM-i as well as the BYD Destroyer 05.
Beyond automobiles, BYD counts freight and rail, transit, battery energy storage systems, and electronics among its products.
Will it be possible to bring a BYD into the U.S.?
Purchasing a BYD electric vehicle in Canada to then drive across the border into the U.S. is complicated, but not outright precluded by U.S. safety laws required of imported vehicles.
Under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988, U.S. citizens can import “non-conforming foreign motor vehicles” for personal use if they can prove that it is not intended for resale.
The process could still be expensive enough to deter most would-be BYD buyers. People who import non-conforming foreign cars also must post bond and comply with other terms and conditions determined by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, according to the law.
What would make a BYD unsafe, according to the law?
One big hurdle to overcome is the autonomous capabilities of a BYD electric vehicle. There isn’t an existing federal framework for what determines what is safe in an autonomous vehicle, or AV, but one is likely in the works.
A more pressing safety concern is the sheer amount of data that an autonomous vehicle needs to collect and utilize for it to operate effectively ― precise location data, driver behavior data, and vehicle data from sensors and cameras. In other words, the kind of data that the U.S. government is wary of sharing directly with a foreign carmaker so tied to the Chinese government.
The perceived national security risk is partly why President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed a 100% tariff on all Chinese cars.
Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@freepress.com.
