Are Chinese cars here? Plus, the most crash-prone cars and Toyota drama.

Issue #124

Happy Tuesday!

Today, we’re discussing whether Chinese cars have an actual chance of making it into the US. Or, wait, are they already here?

Market News

• What are the ten most accident-prone vehicles in the US? Here they are. 

• Tesla keeps piling on unsold vehicles in mall parking lots. Now, there's evidence of how long it has been going on.

• The Toyota Venza disappeared from America. Now, there are rumors of a comeback, and it looks great.

• This study shows that Europeans are less willing to switch to EVs than Americans. 

• Cars are more expensive. That's no secret, but here's how automakers are hiking prices in other ways.

• Ford has a gutsy marketing campaign in the works. Will it work?

• Last week, we discussed how Toyota wants to sell US-made cars in Japan (you can read it here). Here's what Japan had to say.

• Speaking of Japan, Europe wants to copy this automotive trend to make cities more comfortable.

• New car seat regulations will come into effect next year. Here's what to know.

• Could this Korean car be the EV we're all waiting for?

Safety and Recalls

• Rivian recalls many vehicles due to a feature from BMW that nobody wanted. Here's what we mean.

• 7,000 Igneos Grenadiers are recalled because their doors open at speed. That's not something you want.

• Kia recalls 82,000 vehicles over this issue.

Car Culture

• Here's the fascinating history of the electric car, and it goes back farther than you might think.

• Honda was very close to creating the NSX predecessor years ago, and it could've had a V8. It looks great.

• The 2026 Bentley Bentayga is causing shocks in the industry. Now, they've created a faster version. 

• Here's a throwback to a luxury three-car review with some iconic 2000s models. 

• Only a certain kind of people can drive this Ferrari.

• Here's why jet-powered cars won't exist, ever. (Sorry.)

• Here's how many cars the world's largest factory can produce per second. That's right, cars per second.

• Have you ever heard of this 9.9L Chevy Suburban?

• How does attending a gathering at the Rolls-Royce Owners' Club feel? Surprisingly down to earth.

• Here's how Subaru became the face of American rally efforts.

Video Of The Week

The guys over at TFL bought cheap offroaders and, well, took them offroading. Wouldn't that be your dream job?

Here's what happened.

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In The Know

People say Chinese cars will not succeed in America. But they're already here. 

China is the biggest automotive region in the world from any angle.

It's the biggest automaker by a lot. As this article explains, it basically triples US automotive production. 

It's also the biggest market. Out of the 30 million cars China produced in 2023, many remained within the country to quench a growing demand.

In fact, while it has been the number-one automaker since 2008, it wasn't until 2023 that it overtook Japan as the leading automotive exporter. This stat surprised us, and you can read more here. 

China's exporting efforts began in underdeveloped countries and regions. As this article explains, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America were great because they were cheap, and local safety regulations were lax.

Once they tried to enter Europe, their quality (or lack thereof) came to light. This article remembers such a failure of a crash test.

The country has come a long way from that, and now, some consider it a threat.

The danger comes in many tiers, from national security to competition. Many fear US automakers won't cope with China's ability to produce and woo buyers.

Just ask General Motors how they've had to back out of China, a market they once dominated. 

We've already discussed how cars can track our lives, and Chinese tracking could pose a serious security threat. 

That's why, as this article recalls, there have been active efforts to ban Chinese cars since long ago.

This reputation has turned Chinese cars into the stuff of legend. There are countless videos of people trying (and succeeding) to import them to the US. This is one of our favorites.

Here's another article. 

Not only that, but executives in the automotive industry believe it's a reality. 75% of them think it's only a matter of time. 

But there's a problem with all this discussion: we already have Chinese cars in the US. So, why all the fuss? 

That's right. Automakers have been selling Chinese-made cars for years. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the first one to reach American shores: an elegant, upper-scale sedan. 

Consumer Reports even wrote this article highlighting what they have reviewed. 

It's also not a small number. American car buyers purchase from 80,000 to 108,000 Chinese-made cars every year. The interest is here, as this article explains. 

However, it's unlikely that this number will grow exponentially, and it has nothing to do with tariffs. 

Americans buy these because of brand loyalty. They like Polestar, Volvo, and Lincoln and shy away from car brands that sound too foreign.

Can you name anyone who has purchased a VinFast? It sounds more like an app than a car.

The same applies to brands such as Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Geely, regardless of their quality or design. 

As this article explains, Americans will only buy Chinese cars if they have a familiar name on the badge. Given the shifting landscape, that's going to be harder.

So, while Chinese cars are already here, the American market won’t allow many of them.