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News & Current Events May 2, 2026 at 1:09 AM

For the average price of a car in the US, you could buy 5 new Chinese EVs

Posted by Kooolxxx

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Affectionate_Neat868 May 2, 2026 +677
The cost of cars in the US right now is absolutely disgusting
677
HuskyBlueBoy May 2, 2026 +473
The cost of everything in the US is disgusting actually.
473
Abomb May 2, 2026 +166
Food, gas, education, Healthcare, vehicles, housing, cell phones, childcare... But the DOW is over $50,000 at least
166
MexicanJello May 3, 2026 +25
It's not anymore. $49,500 currently. So don't even have that going for you
25
Antimony04 May 3, 2026 +15
Working people never had the DOW working for them. The stock market is not the economy. We're in a labor recession while the cost of living's been spiking for years; stocks being up just illustrates the disconnect between how well the wealthy are doing versus the workers.
15
house343 May 2, 2026 +11
Yeah... Honestly I hope more people just get eBikes and zip around on those just to out pressure on the system to fix it. That's how capitalism works. Right guys?....
11
youngtyrant84 May 3, 2026 +4
Yeah, but it's not stopping many people from going out and buying some of the most expensive options.
4
Coven_Evelynn_LoL May 3, 2026 +5
Yet conservatives insist on voting for Pedophiles and to cover up the Epstein files rather than vote to bring down the cost of living
5
Saint_The_Stig May 2, 2026 +11
The cost of cars shouldn't be a big deal. But that's what happens when you make a luxury item a requirement to exist in a society.
11
Persian_Frank_Zappa May 2, 2026 +2934
"We didn't spend 70 years and billions of dollars lobbying against mass transit and city planning just so you people could go buy Chinese cars" - some US auto exec, probably.
2934
DataDude00 May 2, 2026 +1013
The Ford CEO imported a Chinese EV and uses it as his daily driver which tells you all you need to know… https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a62694325/ford-ceo-jim-farley-daily-drives-xiaomi-su7/
1013
Kucked4life May 2, 2026 +352
Him and Honda's CEO basically spoke of Chinese auto companies like that one racist Japanese tweet glazed black people on their physique. 
352
thebohster May 2, 2026 +195
IIRC wasn't Honda's CEO the one was was like "it's impossible to compete against that" when he saw their factory?
195
dylansucks May 2, 2026 +120
Correct, but plenty of stuff is impossible if you don't even try.
120
oneeighthirish May 2, 2026 +6
I'm gonna need that tweet, pal
6
EEpromChip May 2, 2026 +108
...a car that can't be purchased or registered in the US... Shocker some rich f*** can do shit normal people can't.
108
throwaway5882300 May 2, 2026 +58
Being rich absolutely facilitates this, but the real trick here is being with an auto manufacturer. They test cars on the road all the time that haven't been through any safety testing yet. They're given a lot of leeway and even have special plate designations in some states for pre-market cars.
58
LivingSnack May 2, 2026 +102
Not to ruin a good circlejerk but he [publicly](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/ford-ceo-jim-farley-drove-chinese-cars-to-scope-out-competition.html) said he did it as a form of market research. He did say it was so good, he didn't want to give it up though
102
BillysBibleBonkers May 2, 2026 +24
I mean seems pretty obvious that this was the reason, still kind of a weird look though.
24
PiccoloAwkward465 May 2, 2026 +16
The weird part would be not incorporating the parts he likes from the Chinese car into Ford's vehicles. I cooked ribs in the oven last night and followed the recipe exactly. I cross-referenced a few recipes to get a common consensus. Still, my ribs were tough. My wife told me that's why she boils her pork ribs before roasting them. Sounds crazy and a bit gross but I can't deny her ribs are more tender.
16
Mr_Will May 2, 2026 +16
Regardless of the comparative quality of the cars, that's actually a pretty good idea. Have senior management drive competitors cars in the real world, so they really understand what they're up against. If the CEO of Ford only drives Ford products, how is he supposed to know if they're good or not?
16
MelangeBot May 2, 2026 +122
Americans can't get Chinese cars as those exist in the future while America is stuck in the past.
122
Woooferine May 2, 2026 +42
Didn't the Cheeto said to burn more coal like we're still in the 1940s?
42
Johannes_Keppler May 2, 2026 +16
The US is rapidly going backwards, even.
16
fxkatt May 2, 2026 +4864
>*These small EVs aren't available for sale in American showrooms - and may never be - but for about the price of ​an average new car in the U.S., a consumer in China could buy all five of these EVs.* 12k per car. the way things are going, they may soon have to be available here.
4864
Branical May 2, 2026 +1268
So can we import them as an individual or is that illegal somehow?
1268
bubba-yo May 2, 2026 +2237
Illegal. In addition to the 100% tariffs on them, they aren't demonstrated to meet US road safety standards and they are therefore not road legal. You can pay to have one crash tested, but it'll destroy the vehicle. This is why some supercars aren't road legal in the US either - nobody wants to destroy one to get it certified. You can import and drive vehicles that are more than 25 years old, which is why there's a small market for older kei trucks in the US.
2237
sickbandnamealert May 2, 2026 +1283
But I could buy three to crash test and one to drive and still come out ahead 🤔
1283
[deleted] May 2, 2026 +660
[removed]
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sickbandnamealert May 2, 2026 +188
Oh yeah well in that case never mind
188
genreprank May 2, 2026 +225
Bro. Don't give up so easy. We could just all pool our money together and we'd all still come out ahead
225
New-Ad-363 May 2, 2026 +56
I call dibs on having it on Saturdays
56
melteveryice May 2, 2026 +57
The crash test is on Friday :(
57
BiggieBoiTroy May 2, 2026 +33
dibs on friday
33
khante May 2, 2026 +50
Right? If I am paying for three cars I want to see them get wrecked. Just like my portfolio 🥺😭
50
tlst9999 May 2, 2026 +20
Why not buy one to crash test, one to drive and still come out ahead? Surely, the paperwork is worth 3 cars.
20
steppe5 May 2, 2026 +80
Why wouldn't China pay to have them certified in the U.S.? Even at a 100% tariff, they're still a great deal.
80
Initial_E May 2, 2026 +99
They would have wanted to under Biden, since their cars are artificially priced and they can corner the market. But they know the market is rigged under Trump, who’s going to find some way to get paid for it and still stiff them. And they just don’t like that guy.
99
xXxDickBonerz69xXx May 2, 2026 +190
Biden quadrupled the tariff on Chinese EVs to 100% https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251096758/biden-china-tariffs-ev-electric-vehicles-5-things
190
techauditor May 2, 2026 +155
Ya this isn't a trump v Biden thing. I hate trump but no politicians wants China to overtake the entire US auto industry.
155
PigglyWigglyDeluxe May 2, 2026 +244
Or maybe the US auto industry could, ya know, actually innovate and build a better product at a better price.
244
SoftlySpokenPromises May 2, 2026 +82
And the result is the consumer gets stiffed, as is tradition.
82
xTKNx May 2, 2026 +35
Trump does. Otherwise he wouldn’t have spent all this time destroying our china containment strategy and hamstring EVs. Nobody has done more for china than trump. He might have been trying to help his buddy Putin, but china was the best positioned and they were handed the keys. In one year they have moved maybe 25 years ahead of where they would have been.
35
CharcoalGreyWolf May 2, 2026 +56
There has actually been bipartisan support for blocking the sale of these in the US. Some of the reasons behind it are good and logical, and some are less so. EDIT: Because I’ve only seen trade and sale of US vehicles mentioned in response, I’ll mention the one concern I see as legitimate: that telematics/infotainment/networked functionality might transmit a considerable amount of data to the PRC, where it would become an immediate source of intelligence for the PRC government. This is one reason why some other Chinese devices or portion of them (network switches, certain cellular phones) are restricted or banned in the US. Several countries in Europe have already found their telecommunications compromised due to using a certain brand of Chinese network switches, for example. It’s not an unfounded concern.
56
daman9987 May 2, 2026 +63
That doesn’t stop these stupid bastards from farming out jobs overseas when companies are in America. Oh China bad, their cars take over auto market, but let’s farm out all our tech jobs to Mexico, Poland and India. It’s so f****** stupid and these mindsets benefit corporations not consumers.
63
Hodorhohodor May 2, 2026 +35
The smart thing to do would be to give govt subsidies to strengthen our own manufacturing in the same areas chinas killing it in. Clean energy, electric cars, battery tech…. Education to fill those manufacturing roles. We’re not doing shit. Doubling down on the same dead end coal and oil bullshit. Americas a bunch of clowns in a trenchcoat
35
Electronic_Topic1958 May 2, 2026 +10
Honestly we could buy these cars, pay the bribes to make the cops look the other way, and still come out ahead.
10
myusernameblabla May 2, 2026 +11
Just slap a “i❤️ maga” sticker on it and all legal problems are gone
11
broomosh May 2, 2026 +21
Triples of the Barracuda
21
Legal_Bus_1739 May 2, 2026 +7
Triples is best. That Nova is a sure thing.
7
bubba-yo May 2, 2026 +20
It'll cost you about half a mil to get it crash tested.
20
steppe5 May 2, 2026 +55
My wife can crash the car for free. She has experience.
55
ZonaDesertRat May 2, 2026 +129
I know folks in Cali who have BYD EVs registered to vacation homes in Mexico, but they drive them daily in Cali... 
129
TetraNeuron May 2, 2026 +69
Damn so only wealthy people with vacation homes can use c**** Chinese EVs It's expensive to be poor huh
69
_jamesbaxter May 2, 2026 +8
You can buy a vacation home in Mexico for the price of buying a parking space in San Diego
8
bubba-yo May 2, 2026 +81
Yeah, if it's registered in Mexico you can drive it across the border, but you can't register it in the US.
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loves_grapefruit May 2, 2026 +163
Yet they let Cybertrucks out on the roads?
163
lIIlllIllIlII May 2, 2026 +97
That's the concerning thing. Those things are absolutely junk.
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amateur_mistake May 2, 2026 +100
They are also significantly more dangerous to their passengers than the notorious murder machine, the Ford Pinto: https://www.motorbiscuit.com/cybertruck-fire-explosion-ford-pinto/ More dangerous to everyone around you and more dangerous to you. The perfect car.
100
stmack May 2, 2026 +16
I'm mostly worried about the everyone around them part
16
thejoeface May 2, 2026 +38
God I want a kei truck so bad 
38
mg-mt May 2, 2026 +19
I drive a 2009 Sambar in Canada as my primary vehicle. Its fun, but damn is it pricey to import parts, as in like double the price of any average vehicle; and unless the kei truck you bought had recent work done there will be quite a bit of maintenence you need to do up front. For example, nearly all of my Sambar's gaskets needed to be replaced, which meant taking apart a majority of the engine
19
wene324 May 2, 2026 +7
There's been talks about bringing them to the US, but I haven't seen any news about it since the beginning of the year though.
7
FlyBulky106 May 2, 2026 +3
Kei vehicles are allowed in a few states. Washington is one that does but of course Oregon doesn’t. Though one of the rural carriers at the local post office has a van (not a kei) that is registered so if you’re willing to step up a bit in size you can at least get something similar.
3
viola-purple May 2, 2026 +45
They can drive in Europe with higher safety standards.
45
karateninjazombie May 2, 2026 +53
They are probably the same ones being sold in Europe that are being safety tested here. I'd Hazard the they don't pass line or the we aren't going to test them line is the American establishments way of gate keeping them.
53
bubba-yo May 2, 2026 +39
Probably, but note that the current dynamic with Chinese automakers is that there is a massive price war inside China, so nobody is making money there, so they charge more on exports. Basically, they make all their money on foreign customers. So yeah, it's probably the same vehicle (there are a lot of Chinese EV dealers just inside Mexico as well) but you aren't getting it for 1/5th the price. Maybe half at best.
39
karateninjazombie May 2, 2026 +37
Maybe. But they're still a f*** load cheaper than the established "western" car makers. And seemingly good too. Given how popular they are ik the UK at least. Time will tell just how good they are. But like Jaecoo, BYD, Xpeng, omoda, greely, leapmotor and any others I've missed are now getting very common here. I can see why when a bud dolphin surf starts at £18,500 and the compatible ID.3 from VW starts at £31k. It's a no brainer to leave the VW on the shelf. Also they might be price waring within their own borders. But there are other objective is to crash Western auto makers by undercutting them. Because the Western manufacturers aren't treating electric as a mass market thing. They're treating electric is a premium thing and pricing it accordingly.
37
thesammon May 2, 2026 +10
Geely actually does sell cars in the US, just not under their own name. They own Volvo/Polestar and Lotus.
10
Human_Combination199 May 2, 2026 +21
I live in Bangkok, the BYD cars are everywhere here. I've ridden in a lot of them via Grab (Thai version of Uber), they are very nice, sleek luxury feel & look similar to a Tesla but I'm guessing much more affordable. In my mind the US has already lost. They should stick to smartphones because they suck ass at making cars. Visiting family in the US is like returning to an anti-competitive protectionist bubble stuck in the past
21
Enlightened_Gardener May 2, 2026 +10
I’m in Western Australia. On a recent road trip to the southwest, we noticed that all of the hire cars we saw on the road were BYDs. And there were multiple charging stations in every tiny outback town.
10
RojerLockless May 2, 2026 +71
You cant import a car to the US by yourself until its 25 years old. Blame the ww2 vets for that one
71
Oakroscoe May 2, 2026 +37
You can actually blame Mercedes for lobbying politicians to get that law passed.
37
WishCapable3131 May 2, 2026 +33
Yes illegal. A car needs to be 25 years old to import into the US if it wasnt sold domestically.
33
LordChungusAmongus May 2, 2026 +38
I've bypassed this with motorcycles by importing the key components (from Poland in my cases, obscure enduros) and self assembling as in Ohio we can register self-assembled vehicles with a c**** inspection.
38
WishCapable3131 May 2, 2026 +23
Depending on the state yes you can import it as a kit car. Your average person is not going to do that with a chinese electric car though.
23
jason2354 May 2, 2026 +44
You can’t buy a car in a lot of states unless you do it through a dealer.
44
arand0md00d May 2, 2026 +102
F****** dealers. Nothing lowers prices more than inserting useless f****** middlemen in everything
102
LikeABundleOfHay May 2, 2026 +27
That sounds very anti competitive and not at all “freedom”.
27
noonenotevenhere May 2, 2026 +23
You know, it's possible a country founded as a tax dodge by slavers only cared about freedom for the people who own stuff. Freedom for capital owners, freedom to dream we'll someday be capital owners for the rest of us.
23
EmZephyr May 2, 2026 +50
They'd be towed by law enforcement as they haven't "met western safety standards" Basically the auto industry will do everything in its power to keep them from being popular. Gotta keep Americans from knowing that quality doesn't mean spending loads of money, God forbid *eyeroll*
50
CesarioRose May 2, 2026 +34
No; they'll be impounded at the port and destroyed. You can't just ship a car into the United States and drive it out of the shipping container. A shit ton of paperwork has to be done for customs to release the vehicle.
34
SupremeDictatorPaul May 2, 2026 +18
I remember a story from the 1990s where a few ultra wealthy folk (like Bill Gates) wanted some specific Japanese sports car. It was something like hundreds of thousands of (1990s) dollars in fees and lawyers to get them imported and drivable. And only their own cars were legal. I want to say they paid some politicians to add some ultra specific add on to some bill to make their cars legal.
18
EmZephyr May 2, 2026 +12
Oh yeah they can be driven, just not on local roads. Private property only.
12
fedexyourheadinabox May 2, 2026 +4
We'll be getting them in Canada (supposedly)
4
In-The-Cloud May 2, 2026 +163
Theyre allowed in Canada as of March of this year
163
Mute2120 May 2, 2026 +72
With legality in Canada, there's got to be some loophole to drive them in the US, or a push to legalize them state by state or something. They can't just ban affordable cars forever.
72
68Woobie May 2, 2026 +54
Just register it in Canada, have a Canadian drivers license, and Canadian insurance. You’ll be able to drive in the US
54
evilJaze May 2, 2026 +27
Except the USA is making moves to ban them from crossing the border even for visitors.
27
ducationalfall May 2, 2026 +97
There’s even cheaper EV that can only go up to 40 mph that’s $2000 - $3000. Think of them as extremely nice golf carts.
97
ReserveFormal3910 May 2, 2026 +86
That's cheaper than a lot of ebikes.
86
oops_i_made_a_typi May 2, 2026 +19
slower than a lot of them too
19
Dear_Chasey_La1n May 2, 2026 +76
As someone in China, so these cars are very c**** and very popular but the quality is kinda what you expect it to be. Not great. Especially short term maintenance and battery replacements which happen more frequent compared to better quality cars are very pricey. What's also important to understand, Geely/BYD and pretty much every car company are fighting for market share. So prices over here may not really reflect the true cost of these cars. Heck most Chinese car companies sell their cars at a loss (BYD/Tesla are the few exceptions). The market is this harsh, that the government warned to not provide deep discounts. So yes, these very c**** cars exist but they are not all that great, maintenance is more pricey and pricing probably is rigged.
76
dam4076 May 2, 2026 +56
Everything is cheaper in China. Look at Mexico, they have byd cars, they start at like 28k. Average is probably much higher. So expecting 12k evs in the us is a pipe dream even if there were no trade barriers
56
plantsadnshit May 2, 2026 +50
Mexico has a 50% tariff on Chinese vehicles. In Norway it's 0% and we have prices almost comparable to that in China, though its usually the more expensive models that are sent here.
50
sycamotree May 2, 2026 +5
Does the tariff apply if they're built in Mexico? That's how the Japanese brands like Toyota and Honda avoid tariffs if I understand that correctly.
5
chth May 2, 2026 +28
I bought my small, extremely safe, built in France electric smart car second hand for $17,000 Canadian 2 years ago with 16,000km on it. Options already exist for those who look for them
28
Consistent-Throat130 May 2, 2026 +30
>small, extremely safe I don't enjoy the race towards obese vehicles, but this is a case of "pick one".  Mass is kind of important to limiting bodily accelerations in the event of collision with movable/breakable objects. 
30
IngloriousTom May 2, 2026 +12
EV are anything but light, even small one.
12
xXxDickBonerz69xXx May 2, 2026 +22
Safety ratings are generally for a collision against a similar sized car. The Smart is extremely safe if it collides with a similar sized car or stationary object. It will not provide the same level of safety if it collides with literally any other vehicle on the road. https://youtu.be/wnLrgIBa2Pg?si=pWwAYMR68YzOrAhD The Honda Fir scored very well on standard crash tests for its class. But did very poorly when crashed against a midsized car. Here's a Smart vs a C Class https://youtu.be/VcD4WeuiI3s?si=91GBAhS4M4OrJ9Qy
22
[deleted] May 2, 2026 +49
[deleted]
49
TinFoilBeanieTech May 2, 2026 +53
Only if the US made some catastrophic, stupid mistakes. Like alienating trade partners, disrupting NATO alliances, generally embarrassing ourselves globally in every possible way. No way that would ever happen.
53
dillanthumous May 2, 2026 +14
Nah, would never happen in this timeline were Harambe survived.
14
Ardal May 2, 2026 +58
To be honest China has been a global superpower for quite some time now. The US is on a downward trajectory in terms of global reach and global trust. Trump has accelerated that process massively in a very short time, he still has 3 more years to entirely f*** the US into serious trouble. Whether he does or not is down to what his handlers tell him to do.
58
Sad_Option4087 May 2, 2026 +21
Unfortunately this changing of the guard has been in progress for awhile now.
21
LetTheSinkIn May 2, 2026 +2029
Best we can do is skirt around emissions laws by making vehicles even larger. Why are we this stupid in America?
2029
boxofdem0ns May 2, 2026 +859
Corruption aka citizens united
859
Phyrexian_Archlegion May 2, 2026 +339
Greed. It boils down to old fashioned human greed. The kind of greed that destroys whole ecosystems. The kind of greed that topples empires and civilizations. The kind of greed that could lead to the extinction of the human species.
339
Intelligent-Might614 May 2, 2026 +52
Also stupidity. The number of people I work with whose fragile masculinity and egos are tied up in giant trucks that see no off roading action is mind boggling.
52
recon_dingo May 2, 2026 +31
Human greed is a constant throughout history, it doesn't increase or decrease. So when things get worse and greed-driven behavior is rewarded or enabled by systems/institutions, like Citizen's United, it's important to give credit where it's due.
31
finglish_ May 2, 2026 +14
Let's not beat around the bush. You need a critical mass of stupid citizens to get away with this, which America has.
14
Photofug May 2, 2026 +239
If Ford wanted a successful EV they would have made an EV maverick or Ranger, instead they made a luxury F150 and then threw up their hands when nobody bought a 100k EV. Instead it's cheaper to buy a couple politicians to block the vehicles people want.
239
BarbericEric May 2, 2026 +71
The thought process must have been amazing. "We need to enter the EV market. But how?" "Why dont we launch our new line of EVs by turning our most popular model into an EV!" "By God that's a genius idea!" ~makes out~ While completely ignoring the fact of why would anyone get an EV F-150? It shows a massive disconnect feom their customers, and even their own product line. I feel like this was a decision guided by metrics made by people who are too busy making meetings about nothing while they feel like they are doing something.
71
callisstaa May 2, 2026 +45
Ford's CEO daily drove a Xiaomi Suqi for 6 months and said it was the best car he had ever driven. Why aren't we stealing Chinese tech?
45
Neirchill May 2, 2026 +46
Because they make more money selling expensive giant trucks than they would c**** little cars
46
SpicyElixer May 2, 2026 +10
Margins on EVs go down with increased size. Margin with ICE go up with increased size.
10
SpicyElixer May 2, 2026 +13
Why aren’t we stealing Chinese tech? We are. That’s why the ceo was driving that car for 6 months. Legacy automakers are quietly buying up Chinese EVs like BYD and Xiaomi, tearing them down to the bolts in secret labs, and trying to reverse-engineer everything from their battery chemistry to their casting methods. Xiaomi is a tech company that builds smartphones; their car's infotainment and ecosystem integration is lightyears ahead of old-school automakers who still struggle to make a responsive touchscreen. Unfortunately, for American car makers, no one can beat their supply chain advantages.
13
LazyCon May 2, 2026 +10
I mean didn't those things sell out basically immediately though?
10
cwx149 May 2, 2026 +31
Anecdotally the ev mustang sold better than I thought it would I'm surprised no one's really made a diesel-electric truck yet that works like a train with a diesel engine powering electric motors Seems like a better version of a hybrid to me
31
Reddragon0585 May 2, 2026 +21
Edison Motors in Canada has been trying to make semi’s like that. Up until recently though they were getting screwed over by the Canadian government.
21
PigglyWigglyDeluxe May 2, 2026 +9
Who is spending $100K on a Lightning when the base price is less than half that? You’d have to try pretty hard to spec up an F150 to cross six figures. I’m a dealer tech and I can pull up window stickers on any VIN I service. Rarely do I see a truck over six figures (not including dealer markup, if any)
9
Neirchill May 2, 2026 +9
I used Ford's website to search my area, 500 mile radius, cheapest was $46k and most expensive was $75k. I agree that it'd be difficult to tip over 100k out of the dealership. Still too expensive but people exaggerating the price by up to 100% doesn't help anything.
9
PigglyWigglyDeluxe May 2, 2026 +9
That guy had a decent point but then completely invalidated himself by implying that Lightnings are $100k
9
Slylok May 2, 2026 +18
The dealerships were the ones doing the markups though. 
18
EfficientTourist7480 May 2, 2026 +5
Bad legislation for this one tbh
5
Crim91 May 2, 2026 +13
Lead Poisoning.
13
Slylok May 2, 2026 +365
With the way gas is now I would give one a go.  I'm tempted to get an EV anyway.
365
AeroInsightMedia May 2, 2026 +163
I just got a used 2023 Chevy bolt. I wouldn't want to do a road trip much more than 400 miles in it dur to it's 50kw DC charging.....but you could rent a gas car for $200-300 a week if you're doing a road trip. If you buy a brand new EV that can fast charge at 150kw hours or better I'd say say we are pretty much at the point where an EV can replace a regular car as long as you aren't towing stuff and are ok with more charging stops. If battery tech keeps advancing id bet were 10ish years away from most new cars in the U.S. being electric. I'm 43 years old and this is the first car I actually look forward to driving....it feels like what id imagine a scaled up RC car would be like.
163
Time-Object5661 May 2, 2026 +115
Where the hell are you renting a car for $200 for a whole week?
115
Munkypoo7 May 2, 2026 +48
Maryland, four weeks (car accident), ~$24 a day, 2025 Nissan Versa. Enterprise Rental. Got about 41-48mpg. Paid out of pocket, non-subsidized rate. All depends WHAT you're renting. You aren't going to get a Raptor F150 at that price, nor a BMW IX. Vacation time rentals always come around the ~$35 to $40 a day for what works for us, usually a Camry or Escape or the likes. Granted, location matters and frankly, anecdotal evidence fun-ness.
48
Time-Object5661 May 2, 2026 +56
Rate for a few weekdays at a non airport hertz location in Maryland is over $100/day (Base rate without any bullshit added)
56
a_noble_kaz May 2, 2026 +16
I got a used 2023 Bolt EUV for just shy of 20k. I drive a lot for work but it’s all within a \~50mi radius. I always come ahead for mileage because the reimbursement is like $.70. Agree about the road trip stuff, but when we go on trips like that our friend drives and we chip in. Also agree about the fun to drive part. I’m 39 and it’s just a joy to zip around in
16
vix86 May 2, 2026 +14
> If you buy a brand new EV that can fast charge at 150kw hours or better I'd say say we are pretty much at the point where an EV can replace a regular car as long as you aren't towing stuff and are ok with more charging stops. Google around for "BYD Megawatt charging." Some of the videos on it popped up in my feed recently. They're starting to roll out cars and charging stations that can take a 10-30% charge car to 80-90% in 5 minutes. Assuming there aren't any gotchas with the tech. They will have basically made a car/battery pack that pretty much solves all of the major issues with EV adoption in the US, assuming that the charging stations were readily available all over.
14
DyZ814 May 2, 2026 +6
Yea I mean charging is definitely getting faster and more efficient over time.
6
Gfdbobthe3 May 2, 2026 +16
> that can fast charge at 150kw hours or better The vast majority of people should be able to charge an electric car with a normal power outlet. Fast charging would be *faster* sure, but your car is probably sitting in a garage for most of the day anyways, so slow charging isn't as bad as you'd think unless you drive a lot.
16
SDRPGLVR May 2, 2026 +11
Garage? I haven't gotten to live somewhere where my car was parked within 50 feet of my front door since I lived at home. An EV is totally out of the question for many people who live in apartments.
11
Gfdbobthe3 May 2, 2026 +5
The other point I'm trying to make is that extending/creating normal electricity lines is a lot easier than trying to create fast charging stations everywhere. Fast charging stations need a lot of power, regular power outlets don't. Your car is most likely closer to a power outlet than it is to any gas station.
5
thesoutherzZz May 2, 2026 +4
I live in an appartment and we have electric car chargers, they are getting increasingly common plus they aren't very expensive to install anyway. The other thing is that a lot of shops and workplaces are getting them installed as well, so you don't need to charge only home either
4
BKong64 May 2, 2026 +6
I bought a used 17 Bolt with 52k miles on it, almost brand new battery because of the mass recall they did.  Amazing car. I agree it's not the best for road tripping because of the old charging tech which makes it a bit slow, but it's the perfect commuter car and it drives great.  They have a new Bolt out with the faster charging though and I might grab one a few years down the line when you can find them cheaper used. 
6
Intelligent-Might614 May 2, 2026 +15
Depreciation on used evs is intense. If you like to buy cars in cash and drive til they die, evs seem a great buy. I got a 2023 ionic lease return for 23k with only 22k miles on it. 
15
tranerekk May 2, 2026 +28
I bought a 2023 polestar 2, Volvo’s EV spinoff, last month. Every morning I wake up with 220 miles of range from charging overnight, I haven’t needed to buy gas once, and it’s a fun, comfortable, zippy little thing to drive. Highly recommend the EV route.
28
MeesterPositive May 2, 2026 +33
If you own your home and can install a level 2 charger, do it. I drive an Ioniq 5 and love it.
33
SciEngr May 2, 2026 +35
Most people can get an EV and charge it comfortably with just a standard 120v socket.
35
fe-and-wine May 2, 2026 +16
Totally. Just gotta do the math on your schedule (how much you're at home) and needs (how many miles you typically drive a week) beforehand, but I'd say for 80%+ of people you can totally get by just charging on your standard wall socket. Assuming roughly 12 hours of charging a night (say, getting home + plugging in by 7PM and leaving at 7AM) you can easily get 30-40 miles of range recharged per day. Even if you drive more than that on a daily basis, you can factor in that over the weekend you'll almost certainly be able to leave your car charging for longer and get it up to ~80%+ by Monday morning, giving you around 200 miles of wiggle room/deficit to use throughout the week. When you run the numbers with a typical person's routine, you'd have to drive something like 60-70 miles a day for 120v charging to not be feasible. And even in those cases, you just build in one 15-minute stop at a public fast charger at any point in the week. Just wanted to explicitly type all this out because I was really intimidated by charging/range concerns for years and thought I just couldn't make it work without an L2 charger, but I totaled my ICE vehicle last year and took the plunge on an Ioniq 5 and it's literally been one of the best purchases I've ever made - especially with everything we're seeing currently re: gas prices. Over the 8ish months I've had it, I've just been consistently shocked at how little most of my previous fears actually matter. Keeping the car charged takes up such a tiny mental load for me on a day-to-day basis, and not having to worry about gas prices/refueling/stuff like oil changes honestly makes it probably a net decrease in the amount of time I need to spend thinking about my transportation. Absolutely cannot recommend it enough to pretty much anyone who has an outdoor wall socket and spends less than 2-3 hours a day driving.
16
SoCaFroal May 2, 2026 +3
I'm new to EVs but you get 3-4mi per hour of charge. So if you plug in when you get home from work and your commute is 40mi or less, it could be ok with level 1. Even if it's 50, you can probably get by during the week if you charge all weekend then slowly get lower throughout the week. Any more that that you would need to hit a fast charging station during the week.
3
JEBariffic May 2, 2026 +7
Yep. I’ve an ioniq5 (also love it) and have gotten by for over a year now on 120 charger.
7
The_fINALWOMBAT May 2, 2026 +12
I live in Panama and here they are everywhere specially Geelly and Byd... They are Pretty great you would think they are in 30k to 40k range, only issue is the after buy support isn't that great
12
VegetableWishbone May 2, 2026 +298
So much for free market capitalism when American companies can’t compete.
298
usernamewasdenied May 2, 2026 +207
US: Let the free market decide. Also US: No, not like that.
207
mwzdng May 2, 2026 +47
The older I get, the more I realize the things I learned in economics classes were entirely hokey nonsense that for some reason get treated like they're inviolable laws of nature.
47
OutlyingPlasma May 2, 2026 +34
economics 101: Supply and demand and the invisible hand fixes all. economics 201-750: Lol. Just kidding. Supply and demand is just some bull we tell to stupid people.
34
CharlesBrown33 May 3, 2026 +5
The entire school system is compromised. They don't teach you about investing, labor unions, doing your taxes, or pretty much any other financial tool you could use to improve your life significantly. The corrupt overlords don't want people learning the system, they want mindless drones pushing buttons on machines. How about teaching kids how to cook, how to do oil changes on cars, how to buy real estate. It's like every single useful life skill has been meticulously amputated from the school curriculum, it's all bullshit.
5
Worthyness May 2, 2026 +24
well the idea was tariff the cars for a little while so domestic makers have a chance to scale up/produce better product, which makes logical sense. Then Trump admin kinda just took away every other incentive, but kept the tariffs, so the domestic car companies have even fewer reasons to make better evs accessible
24
____trash May 2, 2026 +66
And that's why chinese EV are banned in america. Billionaires want to force us to buy their shitty overpriced gas guzzlers
66
babycatcher2001 May 2, 2026 +136
My dad just bought a high end Chinese EV in Chile for 17kUSD.
136
computermouth May 2, 2026 +3
BYD cars are everywhere in Mexico 
3
Sponchman May 2, 2026 +497
I really wish I could but a smaller city oriented car. Instead only SUV and ever enlarging trucks are what the US really wants me to buy.
497
Personal_Breakfast49 May 2, 2026 +107
Come on, you always need to spend more on cars and gas to enrich a few! You need to be understanding.
107
PokemonSapphire May 2, 2026 +8
Exactly won't someone think of the executive class in these trying times!
8
Mrjlawrence May 2, 2026 +113
What’s stopping you from buying a small or medium sized sedan?
113
Sponchman May 2, 2026 +76
I want smaller than that, every sedan on the road is just as long as most CUVs It feels like most US car R&D is just larger vehicles 
76
LiftingCode May 2, 2026 +48
Fiat 500e? Mini Cooper 2-door?
48
iwilldeletethisacct2 May 2, 2026 +30
The mini 2-door also comes in a full electric. It's pretty sick.
30
Melbuf May 2, 2026 +5
I dont think its available in the US yet, the 4d is and starts at ~45k
5
blade02892 May 2, 2026 +23
Mazda cx30 , cx3 ?
23
trer24 May 2, 2026 +28
They need that lifted Chevy Silverado to be able to go down to Walmart to pick up a bag of Doritos and 12 pack of Coke Zero. Obviously no other kind of vehicle would be able to do that job.
28
Sugarstache May 2, 2026 +40
Small fuel efficient sedans and hatchbacks absolutely exist. You are free to buy them if that is what you would like.
40
TheStLouisBluths May 2, 2026 +48
Why not just buy a smaller city oriented car then? You’re not required to buy an SUV or truck.
48
Letsgobuffalo2210 May 2, 2026 +21
Obviously not feasible for a lot of people, but I moved to a walkable neighborhood and ditched my car for a bike.
21
appleparkfive May 2, 2026 +13
It's so nice to never need to drive. Even while having a car if it's totally necessary like going an hour or two away. But walking or transit does everything just fine for me, thankfully.
13
Axentor May 2, 2026 +133
Make then legal. The us auto companies didn't learn in 2008.
133
roscomikotrain May 2, 2026 +122
Bailing out these inefficient companies has been so mind boggling. USA is so corrupt they will never compete internationally again.
122
Character_Bug_1862 May 2, 2026 +25
Our masters began prioritizing short term gains over long term sustainability pretty much right after WWII. Took everything FDR did for *us* for themselves and their children then sold us down the river.
25
ComfortableDebt9190 May 2, 2026 +80
There are like 100 Chinese ev car companies. Legit brands like BYD are still 25 to 35k usd. But those are great cars, they put Tesla to shame
80
Helpful_Equipment580 May 2, 2026 +36
Australia is a free for all for Chinese car manufacturers at the moment. I'd only buy a BYD, GWM, or a Chery at the moment. There are about another 6 brands selling here, but we have no idea if they are here to stay or if they will pull out. We are not a huge market and there is no way all these Chinese brands can establish themselves.
36
boat_hamster May 2, 2026 +9
This is the problem with the Chinese cars. They are throwing a lot of brands at the wall, to see what sticks. If you buy a car from a brand that doesn't stick, you could be stuck with a car in a few years you can't get parts for.
9
shanwu May 2, 2026 +26
Actually, most of BYD’s top-selling models in China are well under $25k. For example, their top 5 models in March were: \* Yuan UP — starting around $10,300 \* Dolphin — $13,800 \* Seagull — $9,600 \* Song Pro DM — $14,200 \* Sea Lion 06 EV — $19,800
26
The_mango55 May 2, 2026 +104
median vs cheapest. How many of the cheapest Chinese EVs could I buy if I bought the cheapest car in the US?
104
countervalent May 2, 2026 +181
Four. The cheapest new car you can buy in the US, the Hyundai Venue, is about $22,000. The cheapest EV in China, the Wuling Hongguang Mini, is about $4,500 USD. F****** crazy that the cheapest car is still over $20k.
181
bills6693 May 2, 2026 +20
Also crazy the cheapest car in the US is an SUV?? I just did some research as we drive a Hyundai i10. Turns out they’re not sold in the US (the Venue is its ‘city car’ equivalent). The venue is longer, wider, has that high front (why?), and gets c. 30mpg vs out c. 50mph. Why is that the ‘c****, small, economical’ car for the US market? Is there really so little market for actual city cars?
20
Michelanvalo May 2, 2026 +7
The Hyundai Venue isn't really an SUV. It's a CUV which is more-or-less a lifted hatchback. They're small as shit. > Is there really so little market for actual city cars? Yes. No one wants them here. They don't sell so they aren't made.
7
Spicy_Pickle_6 May 2, 2026 +100
I hate these comparisons because they couldn’t be more different. On one side you have corporations trying to squeeze as much profit out of every car, and on the other you have government-subsidized cars who practically sell them at cost just to take over market share.
100
pradeep1592 May 2, 2026 +32
I don't know about these cars but you can certainly make a decent enough ev for 12k and remain profitable. Here's an example https://www.cardekho.com/tata/punch-ev . Its an indian car that's build by a private company which is profitable and the car starts at around 10k and goes up to 13k-14k for the top model with 127hp and 450km range and it has a 5 star indian ncap safety rating.
32
Any-sao May 2, 2026 +14
I want to also add on that, in addition to the subsidies the Chinese government gives EV manufacturers, there’s a tariff on EV imports in China that dwarves the U.S.’ We have a 100% tariff on Chinese EVs. China has a 300% tariff on foreign EVs. Specifically to benefit their own companies.
14
Confident_Platypus90 May 2, 2026 +42
I have a ten year old Corolla and it’s amazing. US consumers buy stupidly expensive cars. Perhaps the Chinese ones are less expensive, but we have other options that most people choose to avoid.
42
Lrfrost May 2, 2026 +55
They selling corollas now for like 29k
55
bartturner May 2, 2026 +15
I live half time Bangkok and other half US. I have several Thai friends that have now purchased Chinese EVs. They are just amazing cars. None have had any issues. What most Americans do not realize is that China has figured out cars. I am old and remember when the Japanese cars came to the US. WE allowed it and it pushed American car makers to do better. The trouble this time is China is so far ahead that I fear American cars would just die trying to compete. So a bit torn if we should allow them.
15
EDDIE_BR0CK May 2, 2026 +25
Coming soon to Canada.
25
Kucked4life May 2, 2026 +6
Not soon enough given the trajectory of the war in Iran.
6
Ok_Mammoth5292 May 2, 2026 +5
I wish I was as wealthy as American CEOs think I am.
5
MidnightMillennium May 2, 2026 +4
All the big American auto companies have been lobbying to ban Chinese cars from ever making it into US soil, because they would be put out of business.
4
RoboJobot May 2, 2026 +5
And they’d probably work better. US cars suck
5
cbf1232 May 2, 2026 +37
Article is wrong, it’s the *average* price of a new *vehicle* including trucks and full-size SUVs which are more expensive. The *median* price of a new *car* is much lower. A Camry is cheaper now (adjusted for inflation) than in 2000.
37
IlludiumQXXXVI May 2, 2026 +9
I was wondering how the hell the average car price was over $50K. I wonder what the median is?
9
ChicagoAuPair May 2, 2026 +25
And for the cost of a house you could buy a small island.
25
UGAke May 2, 2026 +24
Capitalism is based on competition. Let the competition in and you’re gonna see our American greed-based car pricing drop REAL quick.
24
Equivalent-Stand1674 May 2, 2026 +15
American manufacturer profit margins are around 4%. The prices would not drop unless they laid off employees and paid the ones they kept less.
15
Frank9567 May 2, 2026 +6
Or innovated. That's typically the US success story over the past 150 years. Refusal to innovate and sitting behind tariff walls is a death sentence.
6
Responsible_CDN_Duck May 2, 2026 +18
You could get a new chinese EV for less than the average child birth cost in the usa... As of 2026 China is covering all child birth costs.
18
Rad_Madsniff May 2, 2026 +12
This reminds me of *“Capitalism refuses to its victims that abolition of poverty which is already technically possible in the world”*. Traditional car makers are keeping cheaper cars out of the US just so they stay in business. We’re the victims, forced to give tens of thousands of dollars extra to the CEOs of these companies.
12
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