Cars, Latest Articles
Published on Oct 27, 2025 at 7:40 AM (UTC+4)
by Jason Fan
Last updated on Oct 27, 2025 at 9:50 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain
Chinese car brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and BYD may not be sold in the US yet, but that hasn’t stopped Americans from paying attention.
A new study from AutoPacific shows that curiosity is turning into real interest rather quickly.
In 2024, just over half of Americans had heard of a Chinese automaker; now, nearly two-thirds say they know at least one, and more than half would actually consider buying one.
That’s quite the leap for brands that haven’t sold a single vehicle stateside.
SBX CARS – View live supercar auctions powered by Supercar Blondie
The surge in awareness comes despite a political climate that’s anything but friendly.
Chinese automakers still face heavy restrictions, including tariffs of more than 100 percent on electric vehicles and growing scrutiny over software and data privacy.
But far from killing the hype, these obstacles might have added to it.
Americans are watching videos of futuristic BYDs with five-minute EV chargers and ultra-smart Huawei sedans online, and wondering if they’re missing out on something big.
But there’s one brand in particular that Americans have their eye on.
AutoPacific’s research shows that Huawei leads the pack among brands Americans say they’d consider, with 27 percent of those familiar with it ready to buy.
Xiaomi takes second place at 23 percent, followed by BYD, the world’s biggest EV manufacturer, at 19 percent.
Other names like Great Wall Motors, Geely, and Nio are also gaining traction, each attracting between 13 percent and 16 percent of respondents.
It seems like the days when ‘Made in China’ meant cheap and basic are long gone, although it doesn’t mean you can’t find cheap Chinese cars these days.
Even fears about data security and national surveillance, which were once dealbreakers, are softening.
The share of Americans worried about such risks has dipped slightly since last year, hinting that exposure through media and online buzz is winning people over.
For now, Chinese cars live mostly in the minds and feeds of American consumers, given that importing one into the US is prohibitively expensive.
But abroad, they’re dominating markets from Europe to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, earning praise for their price, performance, and polish.
It’s not hard to imagine the same curiosity turning into demand if US policy changes.
In fact, most American auto execs seem to think that it’s inevitable that Chinese cars will eventually be sold in the US.
Ford CEO Jim Farley himself has been spotted with a Xiaomi SU7, and he had only good things to say about the Chinese EV.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
# Tags – BYD, Cars, Chinese brands, Chinese Cars, Huawei, Xiaomi
Jason Fan is an experienced content creator who graduated from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore with a degree in communications. He then relocated to Australia during a millennial mid-life crisis. A fan of luxury travel and high-performance machines, he politely thanks chatbots just in case the AI apocalypse ever arrives. Jason covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on technology, planes and luxury.
Supercar Blondie finds and covers the coolest cars, tech, luxury and gaming in the world.
Copyrights ©2025 SB Media Holding Limited

source