- Canada wants to bring in imported Chinese EVs, up to 49,000 units for the first year, topping out at 70,000 cars by year five.
- It’s not clear yet which Chinese brands will come to Canada. But the tariff rate favors cars around $35,000 Canadian, or $25,000 USD.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney has also suggested a joint venture program to attract investment from Chinese brands to Canada.
Canada has been on a lot of people’s minds lately, and not just because of President Donald Trump’s designs on the sovereign nation as America’s 51st state. While the United States shuts out Chinese cars, Canada has lowered its tariffs to attract cheap new electric imports—a potentially transformational moment for the North American auto industry.
Of course, there’s a quota on these models, but it looks like there’s a ray of possibility that soon Canadian drivers could witness the glory of BYD or Geely. But the provisions for Chinese cars to reach Canadian roads are still a little vague. No one knows which brands or which cars could make it there, but we do know that the Canadian government favors EV imports that would cost under $35,000 CAD (or about $25,000 USD).
There are a lot of affordable choices from China’s EV market that I think would be suitable for Canada. Historically, Canada’s market has been very similar to the U.S., but with a larger appetite for smaller cars and hatchbacks. Here’s a handful of cars and crossovers that I think Canadians would be interested in.
BYD Seagull
BYD Dolphin Surf (2025) in a short test
Photo by: BYD
Call it the BYD Seagull, or the Dolphin Surf, or the Atto 1 or the Dolphin Mini. The name depends on where you live, but regardless of where it is in the world, the Seagull is an existential threat to Western auto brands for a reason. Once China’s best-selling EV, only recently surpassed by the similarly-sized and priced Geely Xingyuan, this $8,000 Chevy Spark EV-sized hatchback is making waves.
I’ve driven one in China, while my colleague Andrei Nedelea has driven the European-market Dolphin Surf. Both of us came away impressed at just how sophisticated BYD’s smallest EV is for the price.
Now, it’s likely that BYD would never ship out its dirt-cheap $8,000 version to Canada. The very short nose of the Chinese market car likely means it would never pass North American crash standards, and the 75-horsepower motor is too slow for North American roads. However, the upgraded crash structure and boost in power (up to 145 horsepower) and larger 45 kWh battery would make the car significantly more comfortable.
BYD Seagull (China Spec)
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
In Australia, this car starts at $23,990, or about $16,700 for a brand new unit with the 30 kWh battery and the smaller 88 horsepower motor. The higher trim with the larger battery would be $27,990 AUD, or just shy of $20,000.
Why it would work in Canada: As I mentioned, Canadians are a little more apt to go for smaller cars than truck-loving Americans are. The Seagull decimates the competition everywhere it’s sold because of its strong value for money and spacious packaging for such a small car. It’s hard to imagine the same wouldn’t be true north of the border.
Xpeng Mona M03
Xpeng Mona M03
Photo by: Xpeng
The Mona M03 is a liftback sedan made by the car and tech startup, Xpeng. Dimensionally, this car matches the Tesla Model 3 tit for tat, although it’s not quite as complicated as Tesla’s entry-level car. The Mona M03 is Front Wheel Drive only, and its smallest battery option is barely 50 kWh.
That simplicity does make it a lot cheaper than a comparable Tesla. A base trim Mona M03 could be had in China for as little as $16,000. Even with inflated pricing often inherent with Chinese brands entering new markets in search of profits, the Mona feels like there’s a lot of room to make things happen.
Xpeng Mona M03
Oh, and fun fact: Did you know that “Mona” is an acronym? Xpeng says it means Made Of New AI, while the M03 part is sort of a thinly veiled shot at the Model 3.
Why it would work in Canada: Nobody has yet delivered the “Toyota Corolla of EVs” on this continent. The Mona M03 comes close to that ideal. Even if it ends up around $30,000 CAD, if it’s well-equipped and solid on range, it could be a serious competitor in the affordable sedan class, bringing price parity to electric cars and ICE ones in the compact sedan class.
Dongfeng Nammi 06
Photo by: Dongfeng
We don’t talk much about Dongfeng here at InsideEVs. This state-owned manufacturer has deep ties with Nissan, operating as its joint venture partner for Chinese operations. Thus, much of Dongfeng proper’s passenger car lineup at one point shared a lot of under-the-skin guts with Nissan products you’ve probably seen before.
Dongfeng’s latest products are mostly self-developed now, though. The Nammi 06 is a subcompact crossover about the same size as the Nissan Kicks. Power comes from an electric motor good for a respectable 181 horsepower, fed by either a 45 or 52 kWh battery.
In China, a base Nammi 06 can be had for as little as $12,500—but once again, after alterations and profit-seeking, I don’t think that price is feasible for Western markets. I’d guesstimate that it could slip in under $25,000 if needed.
Photo by: Dongfeng
Why it would work in Canada: It’s no secret that generally, buyers are in search of affordable cars, but crossovers especially. The Nammi 06 looks like it provides all of the goodness we’ve seen in sedan or hatchback cheap EVs, but in a crossover body, for about the same price.
GAC Aion UT
GAC Aion UT
Photo by: GAC
GAC is also probably another group you may not have heard of. This manufacturer has operated a joint-venture contract builder for both Honda and Toyota for years, responsible for nearly all of the Corollas or Civics seen on Chinese streets. It’s even exported to Canada before; in 2011, Honda sourced Canadian-market Fits from GAC-Honda.
Aion is a sub-brand of GAC. It sells electric cars, including this Chevy Bolt-sized Aion UT. In China, the UT’s battery can be as small as 35kwh, but many export markets are getting a significantly larger 60 kWh battery feeding a 201-horsepower motor turning the front wheels. This combination is currently on sale in Thailand for about $16,000.
Why it would work in Canada: Although I’ve already nominated several small hatchbacks, the Aion UT’s upgraded battery and motor seem very much akin to cars Canadians have already had and liked, like the Chevrolet Bolt EV. A small family hatchback with a sizeable battery would be a great option, especially if it’s priced cheaper than the Bolt EV.
Leapmotor B10
Photo by: Leapmotor
Leapmotor has been a surprising rising star in China’s car market. Prices are low, even for China, while value remains strong. The brand’s success attracted the attention of Stellantis, which purchased a portion of Leapmotor and has used it partially to satiate its own electric car plans.
The B10 is a smaller crossover than a Toyota RAV4, aimed at buyers seeking a lot of space and value for not much money. Power comes from a 210-horsepower motor turning the rear wheels, fed by a 67 kWh battery. There is no AWD dual motor option, but Leapmotor has promised that a PHEV hybrid version is coming soon. Pricing in the Australian market is $38,990 AUD, or $27,200, a little higher than the $25,000 cutoff.
Photo by: Leapmotor
Why it would work in Canada: Like the Dongfeng Nammi 06, there’s a real desire for cheap EV family-oriented crossovers. The B10 is part of Leapmotor’s global push, and is already making inroads into markets outside China. This crossover’s big interior and low price would resonate hard in markets where value is of the utmost concern.
Wuling Bingo S
Photo by: Wuling
There has been speculation that Canada’s new deal will simply result in existing manufacturers bringing over China-made versions of existing cars.
That’s boring. But if existing brands were to do this, I feel like it would be more akin to a captive import-style situation, where brands bring over models from other (semi) related brands and sell them under a familiar badge or name. And in this scenario, in comes the folks at General Motors.
Like this: the Wuling Bingo S. Wuling is tangentially related to General Motors, forming the “W” part of the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture alliance. SGMW’s cars are often sold as MG or Chevrolet-badged vehicles in markets like India or Mexico.
This small hatchback may only have 101 horsepower and a maximum of 41.9 kWh of battery, but it’s less than $10,000 base price means it’s attractive. Of course, this car would likely need a lot of work to be able to pass Canadian crash standards, but the ability to potentially sell at existing GM dealerships could be a big draw. (We reached out to GM Canada to see if something like this is in the cards; we will update this story if we hear back.)
Wuling Bingo S Photo by: Wuling
Why it would work in Canada: Some analysts and experts we’ve spoken to are bullish about a joint venture situation with Chinese automakers in Canada. This car represents a prime example of what could be possible. It would take some doing, but imagine this thing with a Chevrolet badge, as other Wuling or SAIC models use in markets like China or India. That screams “hit,” or at least an easy way to get cheap EVs into Canadian driveways.
China is really good at making cheap EVs for a lot of people. It was hard to whittle down to just a few choices. What about you? Is there a particular Chinese car you’d like to see on Canadian roads?
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
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