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A BYD Seagull small electric car is on display during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai)

Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty Images

DETROIT – Chinese automakers pose a growing threat to their American counterparts — even without selling directly to consumers in the U.S. market.

Sales of China-made vehicles are rising at notable rates in Asia, Europe and other countries. China recently reported exports of more than 5 million vehicles in 2023, topping Japan to become the top country of car exports in the world.

That volume from well-established, government-owned companies like SAIC and Dongfeng as well as newer players like BYD, Nio and others has catapulted China from sixth ranking to the top seed since 2020. It comes amid declining U.S. vehicle exports as companies like General Motors have cut international operations. U.S. auto exports in 2022, the most recent data available, were down 25% from their peak in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

America – fourth globally in vehicle exports prior to 2020 – ranked sixth in the world last year, falling behind No. 5 Mexico, No. 4 South Korea and No. 3 Germany, according to global consulting firm AlixPartners.

“My No. 1 competitor is the Chinese carmakers,” said Carlos Tavares, CEO of Chrysler parent Stellantis, during a virtual media roundtable Friday. “This is going to be a big fight. There is no other way for a global carmaker like Stellantis that is operating all over the world than to go head-on with the Chinese carmakers. There is no other way.”

The threat extends beyond export volumes. Chinese automakers have set a new standard for vehicle production and pricing. They’re releasing new models in record times, and many are producing EVs efficiently and profitably — something that has alluded global automakers including America’s GM and Ford Motor.

BYD dominance

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares holds a news conference after meeting with unions, in Turin, Italy, March 31, 2022.

Massimo Pinca | Reuters

BYD has cracked a code for low-priced EVs that seemingly transcends borders: Its BYD Seagull, a tiny EV that starts at roughly $11,400, would significantly undercut U.S. EV prices at less than $15,000 even when factoring in America’s 27.5% tariff on Chinese-made vehicles.

“This is a car that scares me,” said Kristin Dziczek, automotive policy advisor for the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Detroit branch, during the organization’s Automotive Insights Symposium last week. “How are we going to cut the price of EVs in half? China’s already done it.”

Mathew Vachaparampil, CEO of auto teardown and consulting firm Caresoft Global, estimates BYD is making $1,500 off each Seagull unit sold. At worst, the company breaks even, he said.

And the company is shipping more vehicles outside China: Overseas markets accounted for about 10% of BYD’s more than 3 million sales last year, doubling that share from the the beginning of the year, according to Bernstein.

“BYD has an unparalleled cost structure and product innovation ability, that stems from its high degree of vertical integration which will enable the company to thrive in the ongoing EV race in China and abroad,” Bernstein analyst Eunice Lee said in an analyst note last week. “Despite growing pricing pressure in China, we expect the company’s focus on overseas and premium segments will support 29% [compound annual growth rate] in earnings through 2025.”

Growth gone global

BYD’s new luxury brand Yangwang is selling its first model, the U8, for more than 1 million yuan (US$160,000).

CNBC | Evelyn Cheng

And the growth hasn’t stayed home. Chinese companies have begun expanding into Mexico, Europe and elsewhere, Wakefield said.

Chinese companies accounted for 8% of Europe’s all-electric vehicle sales as of September last year and could increase their share to 15% buy 2025, according to the European Union. The EU believes Chinese EVs are undercutting the prices of local models by about 20% in the European market.

The influx of Chinese EVs has spurred the European Union to launch into government support for the industry.

In Mexico, China-built vehicles with internal combustion engines increased from 0% market share to 20% of the country’s light-duty vehicle sales over the past six years, according the Chicago Fed’s Dziczek.

“Mexico is the second-largest market for China-made vehicles other than Russia,” she said. “They’re going to be on our shores in Mexico in the not-too-distant future.”

Coming to America

2024 Lincoln Nautilus

Ford

Aside from potential regulatory hurdles and protectionism acts, some believe Chinese automakers could find success in expanding to the U.S. market the same way Japan’s Toyota Motor and South Korea’s Hyundai Motor have done.

Those automakers made their entrances to the U.S. market with affordable, accessible vehicles, then increased their offerings to boost quality and safety and ultimately expanded to higher-end models.

“The Japanese carmakers came to the U.S. in the 70s,” Stellantis’ Tavares said. “They needed 50 years to reach the top of the market with some of the competitors that we know well. I don’t see any reason why this would not happen with the Chinese.”

– CNBC’s Michael Bloom contributed to this article.