10 EVs from China That Should Be Sold in Canada

A little bit of trivia for you: Canadians have been buying Chinese-built automobiles for years. Vehicles like the Polestar 2 and Buick Envision are sold here but built in China. However, when the Canadian federal government slapped a 100 per cent surtax on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs), last year, on top of the existing 6.1 per cent import tariff, some models like the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, Volvo EX30, and Mini Cooper SE, which were initially shipped from China, are now being produced in other locations like Belgium or the United Kingdom for the North American market.

However, with affordability at the top of the list of challenges for many EV buyers, there has been talk of dropping or reducing the Chinese EV surtax. If or when that happens, here are 10 models we think could sell well here.

BYD Seal

You may have heard of China's BYD. The company is the largest car manufacturer in China by sales volume, and a major global player in the EV market, building not only passenger cars, but also electric buses and commercial trucks. One of BYD's most popular models is the Seal compact sedan, an EV that is a direct rival to established Canadian-market models like the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 6.

The Seal uses an 83-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, a maximum charging speed of 150 kilowatts (kW), and a DC charge time of under 40 minutes. Pricing is very competitive. In France, for example, the base rear-wheel-drive Seal starts at €46,990 (approximately $77,000 at current exchange rates). It offers a generous 570 kilometres of driving range, and the dual-motor trim starts at around $81,500, with a claimed range of 520 km.

Dongfeng Voyah Free

If you are in the market for a high-tech and luxurious battery-electric SUV like a BMW iX, China's Dongfeng Voyah Free could be an interesting alternative.

The Free is a mid-size SUV penned by Italy's famous Italdesign Giugiaro. The all-wheel-drive (AWD) dual-motor version produces a healthy 482 horsepower from a 107-kWh battery for a claimed 500 km of driving range. Other trims have a range of up to 700 km, while some extended-range versions (that use a gas engine to charge the battery) boast a remarkable 1,458 km of total range.

In Switzerland, the Voyah Free is priced at around $124,000. However, as per its luxury vehicle mandate, the Dongfeng electric SUV's interior is adorned with Nappa leather and features a triple-screen setup with a driver's instrument cluster, a central infotainment screen, and a passenger screen.

GAC Aion ES

While starting prices in Canada for new entry-level EVs, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, are just under $50,000, you could be driving the GAC Aion ES compact sedan for around $39,000.

GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group Co) has been building cars in China since the 1950s. The Aion ES was developed to deliver an electric driving experience at the price of a well-equipped gas model. With a 55.2-kWh battery and a single electric motor driving only the front wheels, the 130-horsepower Aion ES offers a driving range similar to the Kona EV's 420 km estimate.

When reviewing the specs, the only disadvantage of the affordable GAC EV seems to be a relatively slow AC charging speed of 6.6 kW. That’s still enough to get a full overnight charge on an AC charger, but the DC charge time is estimated at about 35 minutes.

GWM Ora 03

If the GAC Aion ES sacrifices style for its low price, China's $44,000 GWM Ora 03 adds a bit of distinctive design for a price that's still relatively affordable. Also known as the Ora “Funky Cat,” the 03 is targeted at fashion-forward urban EV drivers who may also be considering a Mini Cooper SE.

Built by the Great Wall Motor Company, one of China's largest automakers (which sold 1.23 million vehicles worldwide in 2024), there are two versions of the 169-hp Ora 03 available in Europe. The entry-level model features a 46-kWh battery, providing a range of up to 310 km. It also comes well-equipped. Standard gear includes the “Hello ORA” voice assistant, wireless phone charging, plus driver aids such as a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitoring. An upgraded model comes with a larger 63-kWh battery, offering 420 km of range, and a host of premium features, including heated, cooled, and massaging front seats.

Hongqi E-HS9

The primary reason larger vehicles are well-suited for electrification is the space required to house large battery packs. Expensive and luxurious, electric SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade IQ offer ample space and longer driving ranges, but at a premium price. So it's no surprise that our list of potential Canada-bound Chinese EVs would include a vehicle from Hongqi, China's oldest automobile manufacturer.

Hongqi, which literally means “Red Flag,” is known as China's Rolls-Royce, producing high-end vehicles used to chauffeur high-ranking government officials. The E-HS9 is the automaker's first all-electric SUV, debuting in 2020. Two battery sizes are available: 99 kWh and 120 kWh. The top model features a dual-motor, AWD configuration that produces an impressive 543 hp and a driving range of around 515 km. The interior can be specified in either a six- or a seven-seat configuration. However, where a Cadillac Escalade IQ starts at around $160,000, the E-HS9 can be had for as little as $99,000 in Europe.

Li Auto L9

A rival to the Hongqi E-HS9, Li Auto's L9 is a large electric Chinese luxury SUV. However, the L9 is an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). It uses a 1.5-litre gas engine as a generator to charge the battery when it runs out of juice. The L9's  44.5-kWh battery delivers about 201 km of electric range until the gas generator kicks in to power the electric motors. The result is a bladder-busting driving range of over 1,280 km.

Beyond the ability to drive from Quebec City, Que., to Windsor, Ont., between energy top-ups, the Li Auto L9 offers a spacious six-seat layout with two individual seats in each row. The second row provides a “first-class airline experience” with electrically adjustable recliners featuring leg rests. European pricing hasn't been confirmed. But expect a price in the $120,000 range if Li Auto decides to sell the L9 to Canadian buyers.

You may remember MG as a British brand that made traditional sports cars like the classic MGB. However, since the mid-2000s, the brand has been owned by SAIC Motor, a Chinese state-owned automaker based in Shanghai. Better known for building family cars, the lone exception is the MG Cyberster roadster, a battery-powered rival to Porsche's 718 Boxster.

The single-motor rear-drive version with 335 hp starts at about $100,000. For about $10k more, a dual-motor version adds AWD and nearly 500 hp. Both versions use the same 77-kWh battery, offering combined ranges of 508 km and 714 km, respectively.

The Cyberster's real highlight is its scissor doors, just like a Lamborghini Countach. Once inside, there are a slew of digital screens and paddle shifters for the single-speed transmission. If you've left a deposit and are still waiting for your Tesla Roadster, the MG Cyberster could arrive in Canada sooner.

Nio ET7

Since its founding in 2014, China's Nio has been making luxury EVs and has developed an innovative battery-swapping technology called Battery as a Service. Challenging rival flagship EV sedans like the Mercedes-Benz EQS and BMW i7, the Nio ET7 is chock-a-block with luxury features and tech, including what Nio calls a business class-inspired interior with an artificial intelligence assistant and a sophisticated “Smart Suspension” system.

For around $122,000, the ET7 doesn't lack oomph. A pair of electric motors generates 644 hp. If you want to charge rather than swap your ET7’s battery, you're looking at 140-kW maximum DC charging for the 75-kWh battery, or 180 kW for the 100-kWh unit, while the Nio's driving range estimates are 444 or 580 km, respectively.

The large Nio sedan's most distinctive feature is the lump on its roof that houses its LiDAR sensor (a remote sensing technology that uses a pulsed laser to measure distances to the Earth, creating high-resolution 3D models) above the windscreen. NIO calls it the “Watchtower,” but you may mistake it for a taxicab sign.

Xpeng G6

Like Nio, Xpeng has only been around for about a decade. Founded by He Xiaopeng, the automaker is known for models such as the G3 SUV and the P7 sedan. One look at our subject, the G6 sedan, and you can see that Xpeng is targeting buyers who may be considering a Tesla Model Y.

The G6 debuted in 2023 with both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive performance versions. Base G6 starting at less than $74,000. For that amount, you get 254 hp from an 800-volt electrical architecture. The Standard 66-kWh battery version boasts a driving range of around 434 km on a charge, while the 87-kWh Long Range trim offers up to 570 km. The G6 also supports 215-kW charging on the Standard Range and 280-kW on the Long Range, which means a 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 20 minutes at a public fast charger. And if you need to take a quick snooze while recharging, the Nio's "XSLEEP" feature turns the front seats into beds.

Zeekr 001

Zeekr is one of the many all-electric automotive brands under China's Geely, which also owns the Volvo and Polestar brands sold in Canada. The Zeekr brand was only formed in 2021, but already claims to have over 150,000 cars on the road in China.

The 001 is Zeekr's first model. The bar was set high, as Zeeker says the 001 is a direct rival to the Porsche Taycan Sport/Cross Turismo electric sport wagons. Tech can be found everywhere, from a sunroof that uses nano-optical valve dimming technology (which enables multi-zone and multi-level dimming modes for custom light control) to frameless doors with obstacle-avoidance sensors.

Starting at around $98,000, the base 001 Long Range rear-drive trim gets a single motor with 268 hp and an estimated range of 620 km. The Performance middle trim adds a motor to the front wheels for a total of 537 hp, all-wheel drive, and a range of 590 km between charges, which is still generous. The top Privilege trim uses the same dual-motor powertrain and battery, but range drops again to 580 due to additional weight from features and an active air suspension system. In China, the top-line High-Performance FR trim features four electric motors generating over 1,200 hp and a claimed zero-to-100-km/h time of just over two seconds.