Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are finding a foothold in the United States’ autonomous-driving market as suppliers of purpose-built vehicle platforms, even as steep tariffs and security restrictions keep Chinese-branded EVs out of US showrooms.
Since 2024, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer Zeekr has shipped more than 3,200 minivan-like CM1e vehicle platforms — including over 2,600 this year — to the US, where Waymo is its only known partner, business magazine Forbes reported, citing data compiled by US research firm ImportGenius. New York-based investment research firm Moffett-Nathanson estimates that Waymo is receiving around 300 units per month.
“What Waymo needs is not an ordinary passenger car, but a purpose-built robotaxi platform with a flat floor, low step-in height, sliding doors, ample space and suitability for high-frequency operations,” said Zhang Hong, a senior NEV industry expert at the China Automobile Dealers Association.
“European and US automakers would struggle to meet such demand at short notice, while China’s supply chain can quickly tailor a platform to Waymo’s needs,” he added.
This advantage is reflected in the cost structure. In July, Philipp Kampshoff, McKinsey’s global co-leader for automotive and assembly practice, wrote that Chinese automakers are “producing at 30 percent lower bill-of-materials cost and 30 percent lower capital expenditure”.
Kampshoff added that in addition to the cost advantage, Chinese vehicles are often more technologically advanced than their Western counterparts and favored by younger consumers.
Dense industrial clusters
Zhang, the NEV industry expert, attributed part of that advantage to China’s dense industrial clusters, which bring together battery makers, electric-drive suppliers, automakers and engineering teams, thereby accelerating the transition from prototype to mass production.
For a robotaxi operator expanding into new cities, he said, delivery speed and a platform designed for fleet use may outweigh the tariff bill.
The arrangement has survived a sharp increase in US trade barriers. Washington increased the Section 301 tariff on Chinese EVs to 100 percent in September 2024, followed by a separate 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles taking effect in April 2025. Together with the standard 2.5 percent duty on passenger cars, covered China-built EVs can face tariffs of 127.5 percent.
“Tariffs can keep out some consumer cars, but they cannot block commercial fleets’ real demand for mature, low-cost and customizable platforms,” Zhang said.
US security rules have also shaped the division of work. The US Department of Commerce’s connected-vehicle rule restricts China-linked vehicle connectivity and automated driving software from model year 2027 onward, while restrictions on covered connectivity hardware will take effect from model year 2030.
In this regard, the imports are not finished robotaxis. Zeekr ships vehicle bodies and chassis without autonomous driving systems. Waymo then installs its sensor and computing system at a factory in Mesa, Arizona, and validates the vehicles for intelligent passenger service.
“US companies can reduce costs through such cross-border specialization while keeping algorithms, data and operating platforms at home,” Zhang said, adding that, more broadly, the model points to continued cooperation in less sensitive manufacturing, even as competition in software and data intensifies.
“It (the cooperation pattern) would likely be that China provides the manufacturing backbone and the US controls the intelligent systems, with each side retaining the most critical part of the value chain,” he said.
Warning for Chinese EVs
However, Zhang added that the model also carries a warning for Chinese companies: If they remain only hardware suppliers, the higher-margin service revenue and customer relationships still stay with their US partners.
“Auto exports were once judged largely by shipment volumes. But today, the more important question is what enables Chinese automakers to establish a lasting presence after entering an overseas market,” said Wu Songquan, a senior expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.
“Chinese automakers now face far more than product competition in global markets. They must navigate an entirely new environment shaped by tariffs, regulatory compliance, localization, supply-chain security, data rules and industrial policy,” Wu said.
lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn
