Chinese EVs take the world by storm — except in the United States

AsiaChinese EVs take the world by storm — except in the United StatesChina dominates the electric vehicle industry, with its brands responsible for about two-thirds of global sales in 2024, although none of those sales were in the U.S.Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00BYD electric vehicles at a showroom in Beijing this week.Ignacio Torres / NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 12, 2026, 9:08 PM EDTBy Tom Llamas, Jennifer Jett and Jay GanglaniBEIJING — China loves electric cars: making them, driving them and selling them to the rest of the world.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Electric vehicles have been widely adopted in China, thanks in part to years of now-defunct government subsidies and a fast-growing network of charging stations. According to the International Energy Agency, almost half of the cars sold in China in 2024 were electric, compared with about 1 in 10 in the U.S.But despite growing global interest in the innovative sector, Chinese electric cars remain out of reach for consumers in the world’s second-largest auto market, the United States.Advanced technology and affordable prices have driven the explosive success of Chinese electric vehicles such as BYD’s Sealion 06, a midsize SUV that “NBC Nightly News” took on a test drive in Beijing.The Sealion 06 has leather seats, massage features, an infotainment touch screen and a mini fridge and charges in minutes — and sells in China for the equivalent of about $20,000.“This feels like luxury, but not a luxury price,” said Lei Xing, a Chinese American podcaster and consultant who covers the auto industry, likening BYD to the “Volkswagen of China.” The Sealion 06, which launched almost a year ago, is not yet available in the United States, but “the key word is yet,” Xing said in an interview Monday at a BYD dealership in Beijing.NBC News' Tom Llamas at a BYD dealership in Beijing this week.Ignacio Torres / NBC NewsChin...