A Lot of American Car Buyers Would Consider a Chinese Vehicle

As Chinese automakers have increased their presence in the industry and become more widespread around the world, precisely what that means for the U.S. auto market has been a lingering question. Canada recently opened up its market, as Mexico has, to companies like BYD and Chery. The U.S., meanwhile, has taken a more protectionist approach, something that has had bipartisan support from legislators.

If the results of a new survey are accurate, however, there may be a substantial number of voters who think otherwise — especially in Gen Z. The survey, from Cox Automotive, explored factors like whether or not consumers would be open to a Chinese-made vehicle and how aware car buyers and dealers are regarding various Chinese automakers. In the latter case, the best-known brand among both buyers and dealers is BYD; that’s not surprising, given that it has become the world’s top EV seller.

Cox also found roughly equal support and opposition to considering a Chinese vehicle. Of the people polled, 38% said that they were extremely or very likely to consider a Chinese brand, while 39% said that they were not very likely to do so or would not consider it at all. There’s evidence that the age of the respondents played a factor there, as 69% of Gen Z survey respondents said that they were very likely to consider a company like BYD or one of its peers.

The majority of both car dealers and consumers believe that Chinese brands “will be priced more competitively” than vehicles currently available in the United States. For consumers polled, 51% agreed with that statement. Dealers surveyed were even more confident that this would be the case, with 68% agreeing.

BYD Overtakes Tesla as the World’s Top EV Seller

Several factors are at work here

Where dealers and would-be buyers differed dramatically came to their support of Chinese brands entering the U.S. market. Of the consumers polled, 40% were supportive of these companies selling in the United States. Dealers were more apprehensive about it, with only 15% being on board with the idea. All of which is to say that if Chinese automakers do make inroads here, they will find an audience for their cars and trucks — but they’ll also face some opposition.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…