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Biden's tariffs likely won't impact Americans already driving Chinese-built cars

A 2024 Buick Envision Sport TouringGM-DESIGN Chinese car brands are missing from the US market, but Chinese-made cars are still sold in the US.  Americans bought more than 104,000 Chinese-made cars in 2023 and nearly 28,000 in Q1 2024. Buick, Lincoln, Polestar, and Volvo all sell cars in the US that are made in China.  Of the more than 15 million cars sold in the US last year, none wore the badge of a Chinese car brand. Chinese EV heavy hitters like BYD and SAIC are conspicuously missing from US showrooms. With the government's existing 27.5% tariffs on Chinese-made cars and Tuesday's new 100% tariffs on Chinese-made EVs imported to the US, the situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. What some people might not realize, however, is that tens of thousands of cars manufactured in China are sold in the US every year. Volvo's S60L sedan was one of the first Chinese-made cars to be sold in the US starting in 2016, followed by Buick's Envision SUV and Cadillac's CT6 Hybrid. According to Automotive News data, US consumers purchased more than 104,000 Chinese-made vehicles in 2023, up 45% from 2022. Americans bought another 28,000 Chinese-made cars during the first quarter of 2024. Currently, Buick, Lincoln, Polestar, and Volvo sell Chinese-made vehicles in the US. Of those, the only Chinese-made EVs come from Polestar, a brand co-owned by Volvo and its parent company, Geely Automotive. The EV brand imported just 2,217 cars in the first three months of 2024. It is unclear how the new tariffs will affect Polestar's future production plans. The company eventually plans to move some of its car production to South Carolina in 2024. In a statement to Business Insider, a Polestar spokesperson said the company is evaluating the Biden Administration's announcement. Here's a closer look at the Chinese-made cars on sale in the US. Buick Envision A 2024 Buick Envision AvenirGM When it launched in 2016, the Buick Envision compact SUV was one of the first Chinese-made vehicles sold in the US. The second generation Envision, which arrived in 2021, continues to be made in China at one of the plants GM operates in a joint venture with SAIC. The Envision was Buick's second-best-selling model in 2023, with more than 44,000 vehicles sold. Last year, Buick sold 167,000 vehicles across its entire lineup in the US, an impressive 61% increase over the previous year. However, this number pales in comparison to Buick's sales in China, which totaled 517,000 units last year.

Current-generation Volvo XC90 will be sold alongside its successor

Volvo's next-generation XC90 sounds like it will be more of a revolution than a simple evolution — even the name will change. The firm doesn't want to alienate buyers, so it will sell the current-generation model alongside its replacement for at least a couple of years. Allegedly called Embla, the XC90's successor will inaugurate an evolution of the existing SPA2 platform and a number of driver-assistance features. Some rumors claim that it will be offered exclusively with an electric powertrain. Keeping the second-generation model around is a way for Volvo to prevent buyers who don't want an electric car and who don't need the latest and greatest tech features from going to the competition. Making the two people-movers in separate factories will ensure that both can be built without creating logistical issues. "That is an advantage of building the new one in Charleston, South Carolina. Why should we close down the old one in Torslanda when you still have a market for hybrids, especially in America and in China?," said outgoing company boss Hakan Samuelsson in an interview with Automotive News Europe. He stopped short of saying precisely how long the current-generation XC90 will remain in production for, however. Far from worrying about internal competition, Volvo plans to give the XC90 at least one more update in order to help it fend off a growing list of rivals, especially in key markets like the United States. "We will even look into upgrading it so it looks a bit better," he told the publication. As of writing, it's the oldest member of the Volvo range: it spearheaded the brand's revival when it made its debut for the 2016 model year. More information about the XC90's replacement will emerge in the coming months, and we expect to see the model in late 2022. When it lands, it will be clearly positioned as Volvo's flagship, a spot that the XC90 has occupied since the first-generation model arrived in 2002. As new cars become more advanced and correspondingly more expensive, keeping an older model around as a budget-oriented option is a strategy that's slowly gaining ground. Porsche confirmed that the current- and next-generation versions of the Macan will coexist for a few years for reasons not unlike Volvo's. Ram keeps the last-generation 1500 in its range and charges $6,385 less for it than for the new model. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Google's new HD Maps to launch with Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3

Volvo and sister company Polestar will be partners in launching Google's new HD Maps service -- an integrated solution designed specifically for automotive applications that pulls realtime data to improve vehicle navigation. The new tech will launch in Volvo's all-electric EX90 and the Polestar 3. HD Maps will integrate sensor data with real-time traffic information to better enhance route planning and will talk to the onboard Pilot Assist semi-autonomous suite to provide highly accurate information about the vehicle and its surroundings. Volvo says the new suite will be available on models equipped with its Pilot Assist system. "The addition of Google HD Maps in our future car lineup marks an expansion of our strategic collaboration with Google, reflecting our commitment to work with technology leaders," says COO and Deputy CEO Javier Varela. "Implementing Google HD Maps in our upcoming cars will help us offer our drivers a more enjoyable driving experience and in future contribute to the introduction of safe autonomous driving." "Building on our long history of mapping the world, Google’s new HD map is designed specifically for automakers and provides comprehensive lane-level and localization data that is crucial to powering the next generation of assisted and autonomous driving systems," says Jorgen Behrens, VP and general manager of Geo Automotive, Google. "WeÂ’re excited to continue partnering with leading automakers like Volvo Cars to improve the safety and comfort of drivers everywhere." Volvo's existing relationship with Google brought us the Android Automotive operating system (not to be confused with Android Auto, the app) currently rolling out across the brand's lineup. In fact, the two companies announced that the latest over-the-air update the company will deploy includes Google Assistant updates. It is expected to reach 350,000 customers worldwide.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.