Hyperdrive

Cheap Chinese Cars Are Waiting on Detroit's Doorstep

American automakers fear an onslaught of low-cost, high-tech Chinese cars if President Trump allows them to be built in the US.

A Zeekr 9X plug-in hybrid SUV from China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. at CES 2026 in January.

Photographer: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu/Getty Images

Fresh from storming the rest of the world, Chinese car companies have set their sights on breaking into the American market.

And nervous US automakers fear it’s just a question of when they’ll succeed.