Chinese electric vehicles in Canada
Eight Chinese brands are preparing for Canada, one is already selling here, and the quota that lets them in is a real number that moves every month. This page tracks the models, the brands behind them, and what has actually cleared customs.
What changed, and when
October 2024: Canada imposed a 100% surtax on Chinese-made EVs, which ended direct imports in practice. Volumes fell roughly 92% in the quarter that followed.
1 March 2026: the surtax was replaced by a quota of 49,000 vehicles a year at the 6.1% most-favoured-nation rate, split into two six-month periods and issued first-come, first-served.
A Chinese-built EV is no longer priced out of Canada by tariff alone. What stands between these models and a dealer lot now is certification, parts and service — not the border.
How much of the quota has been used
Counted from permits issued, as Global Affairs Canada publishes them — not estimated from customs value.
15,603of 24,500 vehicles
64% used · 8,897 remaining
At or below $35,000
7,805
Above $35,000
7,798
Permits by month
The second period opened on 1 September 2026 under GAC Notice 1168, carrying forward whatever the first period left unused. Figures for it appear here once GAC reports them.
Models in our catalogue
The Chinese-brand EVs we track with full specs, pricing and news. 9 models across 6 brands.
BYD
BYD Auto, Shenzhen
The largest EV maker in the world by volume, and the brand furthest along on Canadian groundwork — it runs a Canadian corporate site and has been reported building out a dealer network.
Chery
Chery, Wuhu — also sells as Omoda, Jaecoo and Exeed
Chery exports under several badges, so its Canadian entry may arrive as Omoda or Jaecoo rather than under the Chery name.
Lotus
Geely-owned British marque, built in Wuhan
Already on sale here, which makes the Eletre the Chinese-built EV Canadians can buy today — a British badge on a car assembled in Hubei.
NIO
NIO, Shanghai — Firefly is its small-car sub-brand
Sells battery swapping rather than fast charging, a model that needs its own station network before a market launch means much.
XPeng
XPeng, Guangzhou
Built around its own driver-assistance stack, which is the part most likely to need reworking for Canadian approval.
Zeekr
Geely’s premium EV brand, Ningbo
Geely’s upmarket EV line, and the group already sells here through Volvo, Polestar and Lotus — so the distribution question is further along than for most.
What we know about launch timing
Dates as each manufacturer has stated them, which for most of these is a year rather than a month. Nothing here is a confirmed on-sale date.
| 2025 Lotus Eletre | Already on sale |
Also tracking
Reported as Canada-bound but not in our catalogue yet, so they are listed by name only.
BYD
BYD Auto, Shenzhen
- Atto 2
- Sealion 7
- Tang EV
The largest EV maker in the world by volume, and the brand furthest along on Canadian groundwork — it runs a Canadian corporate site and has been reported building out a dealer network.
Chery
Chery, Wuhu — also sells as Omoda, Jaecoo and Exeed
- Jaecoo J5 EV
Chery exports under several badges, so its Canadian entry may arrive as Omoda or Jaecoo rather than under the Chery name.
NIO
NIO, Shanghai — Firefly is its small-car sub-brand
- Firefly
- EL6
- EL8
Sells battery swapping rather than fast charging, a model that needs its own station network before a market launch means much.
XPeng
XPeng, Guangzhou
- P7
- G9
Built around its own driver-assistance stack, which is the part most likely to need reworking for Canadian approval.
Zeekr
Geely’s premium EV brand, Ningbo
- X
- 7X
Geely’s upmarket EV line, and the group already sells here through Volvo, Polestar and Lotus — so the distribution question is further along than for most.
MG
SAIC Motor, Shanghai — IM is SAIC’s premium EV line
- MGS5
- IM5
- IM6
- Cyberster
Another British badge on Chinese production, and one of the two brands here with nothing in our catalogue yet.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi, Beijing
- SU7
The phone maker, whose first car sells out in China faster than it can be built. No sign yet of a Canadian plan.
We publish range and price once we have a source we can cite for the Canadian market. Until then a name is the honest amount of information.
Common questions
Can I buy a Chinese EV in Canada right now?
One: the Lotus Eletre, a Geely-owned British marque built in Wuhan and sold through Lotus dealers here. Every other model on this page is either announced or reported as coming, with no Canadian dealer network yet.
Will they actually be cheaper?
The 6.1% rate leaves far more room than a 100% surtax did, and roughly half the volume moving under the quota so far is declared at or below $35,000. That is a customs value, not a window sticker: freight, duty, certification and a dealer margin all land on top.
Are they certified for Canada?
A vehicle needs to meet the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards before it can be imported for sale, which is a per-model process. A model selling in China or Europe has not cleared that bar by doing so.
What about parts, warranty and service?
This is the open question on every brand here except Lotus. A warranty is only as good as the network behind it, and most of these brands have no Canadian service footprint at all yet.
Do they qualify for the federal rebate?
Eligibility turns on the published price cap and on the model appearing on the federal list, not on where the car is built. A model that is not on the list is not eligible, however it is priced.
Sources
- Global Affairs Canada — EV import quota utilization (EICS)
- Manufacturer specifications, as recorded on each vehicle page
- Brand and launch notes are editorial, and dated by the page they link to.