This Picture Shows Exactly Why Automakers are Concerned About Chinese EVs Selling in Mexico and Canada

Rarely can international economic issues be boiled down to one photo, but this picture recently posted to a Colorado automobile fan page shows exactly why automakers, suppliers, and congress members are deeply concerned about Canada’s recent decision to allow Chinese EVs to be imported there. It is only a matter of time before the vehicles could make their way to the U.S. The photo is of a Chinese BYD truck parked at the Denver International Airport. I have no way of knowing who parked the truck in the parking lot or how it made its way to Colorado. The photo shows that the truck has plates from Mexico.

BYD in Mexico

The Chinese automaker BYD launched the Shark pickup truck, in  Mexico, in May of 2024. The plug-in hybrid Shark is designed to be a global truck. It is built on an off-roading platform. At the time, BYD said it was looking to build a plant in Mexico and was marketing to large companies that would want fleets of vehicles. BYD is also marketing to Latin American countries, intending to build the vehicles in Mexico. Plus, assembling the trucks in Mexico helps bypasses potential U.S. import tariffs on Chinese goods.

The BYD Shark is said to be smaller than the traditional Ford, Chevrolet and Ram full-size trucks but slightly larger than mid-size trucks. The big problem for Ford, GM and Ram is that the Chinese government subsidizes the Chinese automakers so they can produce the vehicles at less than half the price of the traditional automakers. BYD recently passed Tesla as the largest supplier of EVs globally and the reach is expected to grow. 

Chinese EVs in Canada

Last week, Canada announced it was reopening its borders to some Chinese EVs. Canada will only allow in a small number, but many view the move as the foot in the door that will change history. Canada has been hurt by Trump’s tariffs and wants to sell more agricultural products to China. In exchange for the new trade deal, Canada will accept close to 50,000 EVs at lower tariff rates. How long will it be before Americans buy the vehicles in Canada and spirit them into the U.S.? The U.S. has a 100 percent tariff on Chinese vehicles. Will Americans be trying to find ways around the added costs?

BYD in Denver

I have no idea how the Chinese BYD pickup got to DIA, who owns it or where it normally lives. The fact that it is parked a long way from Mexico shows that the vehicles are obviously making their way around the country. Several Chinese EVs were on display at the recent CES show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The vehicle itself looks a lot like the F-150 with Chevy style accessories in the truck bed. The Chinese automakers have been trying to get into the U.S. market for decades, this picture shows exactly why the Detroit Three should be worried. 

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

Follow Mary Conway at @MaryConwayMedia and send her car news tips for future stories.