Episode 234 may go down as one of the most consequential conversations yet on China EVs & More. Tu and Lei unpack the Canada–China trade truce that effectively opens the door for Chinese EV imports into North America—and why this moment could trigger a chain reaction across the U.S., Mexico, and global auto markets.

Canada’s decision to allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs at just 6.1% tariffs isn’t about volume—it’s about symbolism. Once the door opens, it rarely closes. The hosts explain why this move pressures the U.S. ahead of USMCA renegotiations, accelerates conversations around Chinese manufacturing in Canada, and raises the stakes for GM, Ford, and the German luxury brands already losing ground in China.

The episode also breaks down 2025 China auto and NEV sales, showing a maturing but brutally competitive market where growth now comes from stealing share, not market expansion. With BYD, Geely, Chery, Leapmotor, and Huawei-backed brands targeting aggressive 2026 volumes, the pressure on legacy OEMs—especially BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Porsche—has never been higher.

Tu and Lei debate which Chinese OEMs are best positioned for Canada and eventually the U.S., why affordable EVs in the $30–40K range are the real battleground, and how price cuts of 10–25% by German brands reveal structural inefficiencies long masked by premium margins.

Strategic, provocative, and deeply grounded in real data, this episode explains why North America just entered a new phase of the China EV story—and why the next 12–18 months may redefine the global auto industry.

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China EVs & More, Tu Le, Lei Xing, Sino Auto Insights, Canada China EV trade deal, Chinese EVs Canada, Canada EV tariffs, USMCA renegotiation, Chinese automakers North America, BYD Canada, Geely North America, Chery EVs, Great Wall Motor EV, China auto sales 2025, China NEV sales, EV price war China, BMW China sales decline, Mercedes China sales, Porsche China collapse, affordable EVs North America, $30,000 EV, EV market maturity China, global auto competition, Chinese EV manufacturing Canada

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⏱️ Chapter Timestamps (for YouTube description)

00:00 – Welcome & episode overview

01:30 – Personal EV ownership pain: Hyundai IONIQ 5 breakdown story

05:55 – Breaking news: Canada–China EV trade truce explained

07:40 – Why 49,000 EVs matters more symbolically than numerically

09:30 – What this means for the U.S. & USMCA negotiations

11:30 – Could Chinese automakers build in Canada next?

13:45 – Which Chinese OEMs are best positioned for North America

16:10 – Canada vs U.S. consumer demand & EV affordability

18:50 – 2025 China auto & NEV sales breakdown

21:30 – A maturing market: growth vs market-share battles

24:10 – BYD, Geely, Chery & Leapmotor’s 2026 ambitions

27:10 – German automakers’ reckoning in China

30:20 – BMW & Mercedes price cuts expose margin pressure

33:15 – Porsche’s dramatic collapse in China

35:50 – Flagship EVs eating into German luxury sedans

38:20 – Why affordable EVs are the real global battleground

41:10 – Chinese speed vs legacy inefficiency

44:30 – Audience Q&A: unions, manufacturing & homologation

48:00 – Can Chinese EVs be driven into the U.S. from Canada?

51:30 – Final thoughts & what to watch next

Kicking off 2026, Tu and Lei return from CES in Las Vegas with firsthand insights into how the global auto industry’s center of gravity continues to shift toward China, AI, autonomy, and robotics.

This episode unpacks why CES is no longer about cars, but about who controls the software, silicon, sensors, and robots that will define the next decade of mobility. From Geely and Great Wall’s growing U.S. ambitions, to Hyundai’s robot-only keynote, to Ford’s quiet but meaningful autonomy reset, the hosts connect dots that most headlines missed.

Tu and Lei also break down the Geely “coming to the U.S.” scoop, Rivian-style AI days spreading to legacy OEMs, and why Western automakers are increasingly borrowing from China’s playbook—from ADAS and silicon strategy to embodied AI and robotics.

The episode closes with a deep dive into autonomy’s three tracks (L2++, consumer L3/L4, and robotaxis), the growing importance of LiDAR scale, and why Donut Labs’ solid-state battery and in-wheel motor reveal could become a true industry disruptor—if it scales.

Fast, candid, and packed with on-the-ground context, this episode explains why CES 2026 marked a turning point—and why the race is no longer just EVs vs ICE, but ecosystems vs incumbents.

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In this episode, Tu and Lei dive into a week dominated by autonomy, AI, and a widening gap between China’s EV ecosystem and the rest of the world.

The episode opens with a deep reaction to Rivian’s Autonomy AI Day—why it felt like déjà vu for anyone following China’s smart-EV space, and how Rivian’s announcements mirror what Chinese players like XPeng, NIO, and Li Auto have already been deploying. The hosts debate whether Rivian’s approach represents real leadership or simply entry into the top tier.

From there, the conversation expands to L4 autonomy momentum: WeRide launching passenger rides with Uber in Dubai, Mercedes partnering with Momenta in Abu Dhabi, and Waymo accelerating multi-city deployments while publishing safety data others still keep opaque.

Tu and Lei also tackle the LiDAR vs. vision debate, Volkswagen’s unusual dual bet on Rivian (US) and XPeng (China), and why silicon strategy—not just batteries—will decide winners. The discussion closes with affordability: why 300-mile EVs under $40K are existential for Western OEMs, and why China’s cost structure makes that challenge unavoidable heading into 2026.

Candid, comparative, and forward-looking, this episode explains why autonomy and AI—not just electrification—will define the next phase of the global auto industry.

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Tags

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