[DigitalToday intern reporter Seung-a Yoo (유승아)] Joint sales with local automakers were cited as the most likely route if Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) enter the U.S. market.

Electrek, an EV outlet, reported on Aug. 9 that in a survey of about 3,000 readers, most respondents said it was only a matter of time before Chinese EVs enter the United States. The most-cited sales methods were joint ventures with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, which includes Chrysler, and distribution through dealer networks.

The survey was conducted on the premise that Chinese EVs are entering North America via Canada, and asked how the first Chinese EVs would be sold in the United States. About 700 respondents voted for a scenario in which local automakers bring in vehicles through joint ventures and sell them through dealers. Some said it could resemble models such as the Geo or Eagle in the 1980s.

On the other hand, many respondents said Chinese EVs entering the United States would "never happen". About 500 respondents leaned toward the view that the U.S. government would effectively lock the border to protect its auto industry. Overall, more respondents expected Chinese EVs to enter the United States, but almost 1 in 5 did not agree with that view.

The survey also highlighted that China-made vehicles are already being sold in the U.S. market. Ford produces the Lincoln Nautilus at the Changan Ford plant in Hangzhou, China. Ford technical documents list the Hangzhou plant as the final assembly location, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also specifies Hangzhou, China, as the Nautilus assembly plant. That means one of the leading traditional U.S. brands is already selling a China-made vehicle in the United States.

The case is not limited to Ford. Volvo has been importing China-made vehicles since 2015, and the latest Honda Fit was also brought in from China for Canada among North American markets. The report also mentioned controversy surrounding Polestar EVs. It said a contradictory situation is unfolding in which Polestar, designed in Sweden, is discussed as if it were subject to a ban due to links to China, even though some models are produced in South Carolina in the United States.

Reader responses during the survey also supported the trend. One reader cited Lincoln as the link between Ford and China, and that point is effectively accurate. The survey question itself was based on the premise that Chinese EVs entering the United States was "not a question of if, but when".

The results show that debate over Chinese EVs entering the United States is shifting from whether they will enter to how they will enter. That is because more China-made EVs are heading to Canada, and traditional automakers in the United States and Europe are also developing new EV platforms with Chinese companies. As a result, attention is expected to focus on whether indirect routes such as joint ventures with local brands, contract manufacturing and use of existing dealer networks could become reality before Chinese brands take the lead in the U.S. market.