It’s no secret that Chinese automakers want in on the United States.
In fact, in a pre-COVID world, several of them were in a race to get sales moving here. But an underdeveloped product line, and then increased geopolitical tensions and tariffs, have shut the door for now. At least, officially, every day, someone asks a BYD rep about American expansion plans, only to hear them admit there are no plans, and we should stop asking about it.
However, the Geely Group—already the owner of Volvo and Polestar—has been a little more optimistic. Since at least 2022, Geely has quietly been making appearances in the U.S., with products and important people that aren’t related to Volvo. The brand has been testing the waters, wondering if Americans would truly accept a Chinese car that hasn’t been run through a Scandinavian filter.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Photo by: Patrick George
At this year’s CES, Geely showed up again, this time with the namesake brand and its fast-growing Zeekr marque, showing off a few more vehicles it sells across the globe—oh, and a stealth remark that it could announce a U.S. entry within 24 to 36 months.
But how, exactly? Whether it’s crash standards, software or tariffs, the barriers remain high. And when I spoke to Geely Vice President and CTO Li Chuanhai, he claimed the automaker hasn’t “officially” stated any plans for the U.S.
Still, the way forward to America is a lot more straightforward than you’d think. I’ve been covering China, Geely, and all of its brands for a while now; all of the pieces are in place if you’ve been paying attention. And if Geely does show up, perhaps it could bring “something different” to the U.S. market, as said by Geely Holding Company’s global PR lead, Ash Sutcliffe.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
Does America Need Chinese Cars?
The U.S. car market is starving for choices. Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe said it best here: There are only about four or five compelling options in the American electric vehicle segment under $50,000. I am inclined to agree; there’s a trope around the office here at InsideEVs that trips to China have made me grumpy and given me a bad attitude toward American-market EVs.
But this isn’t just me. Through the power of our writings as well as social media posts from people who do get Chinese EVs, there’s a surprising amount of awareness and desire from Americans about them in general. The level of equipment and technical tricks that the cars can do is appealing to buyers, and not just from the super cheap ones, either.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Photo by: Patrick George
And what cars did Geely bring? Two big, luxurious plug-in hybrid SUVs, both of which looked and felt like something Americans would buy. It just feels like the brand is courting us, without the permission of our dad: the U.S. government. It’s a fun courtship, though.
“Social media is where our data shows Americans are most likely to gain knowledge about Chinese vehicles, and many of the Chinese vehicles showcased on social media are absolutely packed with features, technology, and content that American drivers can only dream of,” Ed Kim, president of market analysis firm AutoPacific, told InsideEVs. “As such, the perception is that many Chinese vehicles are high-end luxury vehicles. While low-cost Chinese EVs would likely find a ready audience here, so would technology-packed Chinese luxury models that sell at higher price points.”
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Photo by: Patrick George Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Photo by: Patrick George
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
Photos by: Patrick George
I’ve written about the advances in Chinese cars for quite some time now, like battery-swapping Nios, or Xiaomi’s, that can integrate your car into every part of your home technology ecosystem. Geely may not have battery swapping (for non-commercial drivers) or super-integrated tech ecosystems, but it has been vying for the fastest charging EV via its Golden Brick battery that can charge from 20% to 80% in less than 10 minutes.
In general, the execution of its existing products may be a cut above the West when it comes to software and overall user experience. I’ve been saying this for a long time, but since Geely showed its products off to American journalists in America, others are understanding too.
At CES, Geely Showed America What It’s Missing
Geely’s presence at CES took two forms. The first was a static display on the CES exhibition floor of its larger-than-life super PHEV, the Zeekr 9X, and the Kia Telluride-sized Geely Galaxy M9 PHEV. The second form took place on a Las Vegas International Speedway, where it brought up a range of Mexican-market Geely, Lynk & Co and Zeekr vehicles for the press to sample.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
I had already driven most of those cars, like the Lynk & Co 08, Zeekr X, Zeekr 7X and Zeekr 001. A couple were new to me, like the entry-level Geely EX5 and Lynk & Co 09 I, but I sat in both in China at some point in time. As a whole, the models on offer were very competent, just as I remembered from what I experienced in China. Interior quality was admirable, as was the snappy and responsive infotainment screen.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
Driving dynamics of all the cars were well-mannered, with cars like the 7x and X stealing the show amongst the journalists and the track stewards helping the event with how engaging they were to drive. A lot of Americans might find that the Zeekr 7X is head over heels superior to cars like the Cadillac Optiq or Audi Q6 E-Tron; I certainly do.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
So what’s holding them back? Well, it’s certainly not crash standards. Even as far back as my initial encounter in 2022, Zeekr’s representatives explained exactly what the Zeekr 001 crossover station wagon would need to be compliant with U.S. crash standards. This was later backed up with a trip to Geely’s headquarters in Hangzhou, China, where it explained that its Southern California area R&D facility is in part designed for compliance, even here in the U.S.
From every conversation I’ve had with Geely and its PR people of any of its brands, the question of whether its cars could pass our crash standards would only be a simple matter of a few alterations, not starting over in a dramatic way. The era of Chinese cars crumpling up in a crash has ended. These cars are already highly competitive in Europe, a market not exactly known for lax safety rules.
Anti-China tariffs may also be a stopping point, but they, too, are not total dealbreakers. Since Geely owns Volvo wholly, it has access to its supply chain and manufacturing facilities. This includes its plants in Europe and America; the brand has openly said that it has considered making non-Volvo models in other plants to get around prohibitive tariffs. For example, the Polestar 4 shares much of its under-the-skin design with the Zeekr 001, yet its South Korean production means it escapes the 100% tariff on final production.
The real holdup is going to be the software.
Software Headaches
The U.S. Department of Commerce has instituted a total ban of “connected cars” with software from China for the 2027 model year, with that escalating to hardware for 2030.
That isn’t great for Geely, any Chinese brand and even some Western brands, too. Arguably, Chinese cars are so impressive because of their software suite—losing that would make the cars not as good. Presumably, they’d have to start over or use something more off-the-shelf, based on the Polestar or Volvo models.
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Photo by: Patrick George
Yet that might not be as insurmountable as it sounds, either. Tu Le, of Sino Auto Insights, thinks the relatively wide 24-36 month window is precisely to be compliant with American data privacy and point-of-origin laws. In a conversation with the Autoline Network, Sutcliffe mentioned that ensuring Geely remains compliant with data and software laws wherever the brand goes, something that was reiterated later in a conversation I had with Chuanhai.
“If you listen to [Sutcliffe’s] comments about obeying local laws, that tells me that the 24-36 months timeline he mentions is the runway they anticipate they need to ‘localize’ their [software],” Le said, via email. “It should be noted that a ‘legacy’ [automaker] would likely take at least twice that timeframe to identify, test, qualify and source new components to replace existing components. Even then, most would punt on taking on such an enormous task. The biggest risk there is not being able to find a Western source that can match their Chinese counterpart’s price, features and quality.”
Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026 Photo by: Patrick George
I think the last part of Le’s comments is key here. Software really makes these cars. Zeekr, Geely and Lynk & Co have great software interfaces, with screens that are as snappy, reliable, and well-organized as they are huge.
By comparison, Volvo’s software is notoriously bad, and although it’s gotten better since its introduction, I don’t think what I’ve experienced in the EX90 or EX30 can hold a candle to the Zeekr 7X or Geely EX5. Unfortunately, the Flyme Auto, Meizu-developed software interface, is likely a no-go for the U.S.
Gallery: Geely and Zeekr at CES 2026
Still, there’s a real desire for choice here in our market, both from buyers and the brands themselves. “That’s a substantial prize in the U.S. market,” Le said.
The U.S. market saw 15.5 million cars sold in 2024, whereas the next largest single country market (not counting China) is India, at a mere 4.3 million units sold. Le said that any other combined single markets would need a high double-digit market share in order to get the bang and sales numbers achievable from the U.S. market. That in itself will always be the biggest draw for any Chinese automaker.
“[Chinese automakers] know they can compete with anything the legacy automakers have on offer currently and (likely) in the coming years,” Le said. “If the Great Wall and Geely booths at CES this and last year are any indication, then they’d be absolutely correct with those assumptions.”
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
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