Five Chinese Carmakers Are Creating a People’s Republic of EVs

China is the country with the largest new-car market and the highest automobile production. You’d think we’d know Chinese automotive brands as well as we know Detroit’s, but since the models aren’t exported to the U.S. (yet), readers may find their names unfamiliar. Of the nine largest Chinese multibrand automakers, together fielding almost 50 nameplates, only four have mapped out a global strategy so far. And of those four, arguably only Geely, BYD, and Nio are, at this point, sufficiently advanced to take on American, Korean, and European brands. Hot on the heels of those industry giants are several fast-rising second-tier competitors. Overall, these five companies are best poised to capitalize on the shift to EVs.

Human Horizons: Focused on Luxury Features

Human Horizons, which is privately owned by the former general manager of Shanghai General Motors, has inked an assembly agreement with the well-established Dongfeng Yueda Kia and is boldly moving into high-dollar luxury territory. Sold online under the brand name HiPhi are the full-size X SUV and the Z sedan. The latter boasts a claimed 3.8-second sprint to 62 mph and an extra-large battery pack good for an estimated 330-mile range. Customers seem impressed by head-turning features such as power-operated rear suicide doors and gullwing roof panels, customizable lighting orchestrations, a TV-size screen for the front passenger, and a center monitor that can change position from upright to landscape. Human Horizons may be a two-hit wonder or the beginning of a unique success story.

BYD: Aimed Right at Tesla and Mercedes

Build Your Dreams already sells cars in Europe to customers with an affinity for startups, a strong liking for Google software, and deep pockets. Its Atto 3 (five-seat crossover), Han (compact sedan), and Tang (seven-seat SUV) EV triplets are expensive. In China, though, BYD is known as a maker of affordable transportation appliances. BYD’s Ocean series looks more promising, even if the car names sound like a vision board from the latest Avatar movie. The Seagull, Dolphin, and Seal use a new platform featuring an 800-volt architecture and a battery with bladelike cells. The Seal challenges the Tesla Model 3, and the fetching Frigate 07 plug-in-hybrid SUV takes on the Model Y. We also picked BYD as a front-runner for its upcoming Yangwang premium subbrand, set to rival BMW and Mercedes. Chinese for “looking up,” Yangwang kicks off with a quad-motor SUV dubbed U8, a six-figure off-roader aimed squarely at the G-wagen and the Land Rover Defender. It also just debuted an electric supercar, the U9, with a claimed 2.0-second time to 62 mph.

Nio: Building Better Battery Charging

The automotive startup Nio is centered on the idea of quick battery swapping, although its cars also can be recharged conventionally. Nio founder Bin Li convinced potent investors including Autohome, Lenovo, and Tencent to back his alternative energy-feeding system on a global scale. In China, Nio is perceived as matching or beating the German opposition in terms of customer focus, with seamless app integration and remote services. In addition to 180- and 500-kW fast-chargers, a fleet of 24/7 charging vans services remote areas. There’s even a bespoke smartphone that is reportedly coming tailor-made for Nio users. As for the vehicles, the second-generation NT2.0 architecture underpins the attractive ET5 sedan and the roomy ES7 SUV, which has an estimated range of up to 400 miles. Next year Nio plans to launch the Alps brand, aimed at Volkswagen and Toyota, with a string of fresh products covering the sub-$40,000 bracket. By 2025, we should see Himalaya, a budget nameplate set to compete in the $20,000 range.

XPeng: A Tech-Heavy Dark Horse

A small player by Chinese standards, XPeng Motors keys in on value. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange and based in Guangzhou, XPeng offers four attractively styled and priced models: the G3i, the P7, the P5, and the flagship G9. The G9 boasts automated parking, over-the-air updates, hands-free driving where legal, and a voice assistant capable of communicating individually with all four passengers. XPeng touts the SUV’s 400-kW fast-charging capability, and even the top all-wheel-drive 543-hp model is bud-get minded. Fitted with 28 speakers, six vibration units in the seats, second-row amphitheater seating, and a massive 2250-watt amplifier, the crossover is a concert hall on wheels. The G9 definitely has the makings of a successful underdog.

Geely: The Main Character

The automotive world eyes Geely with an uneasy mix of respect and fear. The conglomerate not only owns Volvo, Polestar, Lotus, Lynk & Co, and half of Smart and Proton, but it also has lesser-known brands ranging from entry-level to luxury to specialty use, including LEVC (formerly London Taxi), Geometry, and Zeekr. There’s also Radar, a new maker of affordable electric pickups and SUVs, and Jidu, a joint venture with the search-engine giant Baidu. The cars that Geely’s domestic nameplates produce may be bland, but anything based on the new Sustainable Experience Architecture matrix should be taken seriously. Case in point is the impressive Zeekr 001 crossover and the brand’s boxy, in-your-face 009 MPV, which will be followed this year by an upper-class sedan. The reasonably priced all-wheel-drive 001 boasts 536 horsepower, an 86.0-kWh battery, and a range of roughly 260 miles. Looking deeper into the crystal ball, we see an autonomous ride-hailing van co- developed with Waymo and a self-driving car conceived with Mobileye, both due in 2024.

EXPATS

Many of America’s oldest and most established car brands are popular in China—but not necessarily the ones you’d expect. Buick is huge, and Lincoln sold more cars in China than in the U.S. in 2021. Here are the most interesting China-market exclusives from U.S. automakers. —Joey Capparella

BUICK GL8 CENTURY

Vans are big business in China, especially high-end models meant for chauffeuring the well-to-do. Buick has had a stranglehold on the market with its GL8, and the latest iteration adopts the Century name. Niceties include heated footrests, a fridge, and a 32-inch entertainment screen for rear passengers.

Chevrolet Menlo

BUICK VELITE 6/CHEVROLET MENLO

These wagonoid twins have flown the EV flag for GM’s Chinese joint venture, and the Buick also comes as a plug-in hybrid. More electric models are in the pipeline.

LINCOLN ZEPHYR

If the Lincoln MKZ looked like this, maybe it would’ve been more successful in the U.S. While the new Zephyr is based on the mainstream Ford Mondeo, elegant detailing disguises its family-sedan roots.

FORD EVOS

Looking like a more attractive take on the Honda Crosstour, this low-slung segment buster shares a platform with the Escape. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, and inside, a massive screen stretches nearly the width of the dash.