Back for week two. Last week's lot covered the heavy hitters — Xiaomi's SU7, BYD's Seal 08 and the floating Yangwang U8, NIO's battery-swapping ET5, the 912-hp Zeekr 001 wagon and the Li Auto L9. This week we're going deeper: six cars from brands most Americans have never heard of. Same rules — real prices, real specs, and none of them are sold in the USA.
The lockout hasn't changed: Chinese EVs face a 100% US tariff (in place since September 2024), and a US Commerce Department rule finalized in January 2025 bars Chinese connected vehicles outright — software restrictions from the 2027 model year, hardware from 2030 — and US senators are now pushing to write the ban into permanent law. Reading guide: prices are Chinese domestic list prices with approximate USD conversions, and range figures are CLTC (China's generous test cycle — knock roughly 20–30% off for real-world driving).
1. XPeng P7+ — the liftback that charges while you buy coffee
Price: 186,800–198,800 yuan (approx. US$26,700–28,400)
Specs: A five-metre liftback on an 800-volt system. The range-extender version packs a 49.2 kWh LFP battery for 430 km of pure-electric driving and 1,550 km of combined CLTC range. The 5C fast charging adds 277 km of range in 5 minutes, 10–80% in about 12 minutes. Pure-electric versions: up to 230 kW (308 hp), 61.7/74.9 kWh packs, 615–725 km CLTC range, 0–100 km/h in 5.9–6.9 s. XPeng's XNGP driver assistance is standard on two Nvidia Orin chips (508 TOPS), with an optional Turing AI setup reaching 2,250 TOPS and a 29-inch AR head-up display.
What you're missing: A 5-metre, 800V liftback with up to 725 km CLTC range and serious self-driving hardware fitted as standard — for about US$27k. The closest US equivalent, the Tesla Model 3 (from ~US$40k), is smaller, has no 800V charging, and makes you pay extra for the advanced driver-assist stack.
2. Avatr 12 — the 4-LiDAR flagship sedan
Price: 269,900–429,900 yuan (approx. US$38,600–61,400)
Specs: The Avatr 12 comes from a Changan–CATL–Huawei joint venture, and the 4-LiDAR edition is the rolling argument for it. Range-extender: 231 kW (310 hp), 0–100 km/h in 6.8 s, 52.01 kWh CATL battery for 356 km CLTC and 1,270 km combined. Pure-electric: 94.53 kWh battery, 705–755 km CLTC range, up to a dual-motor setup good for 0–100 km/h in 3.8 s. Four LiDAR sensors (three long-range plus one solid-state) feed Huawei's Qiankun ADS 4.0 smart-driving system, with a 35.4-inch 4K panoramic display and HarmonyOS inside.
What you're missing: A 3.8-second flagship sedan with four LiDARs and 755 km CLTC range starting around US$38.6k. The closest US equivalent is the Tesla Model S (from ~US$95k) — roughly double the money for a car with no LiDAR and nothing close to Huawei's urban driver-assist tech.
Sources: CnEVPost, CarNewsChina
3. Leapmotor C10 — the US$17k family SUV (yes, really)
Price: 120,800–140,800 yuan (approx. US$17,300–20,100)
Specs: Five-seat family electric SUV from the Stellantis-backed Chinese brand. The 2026 pure-electric version: 220 kW (295 hp), 360 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 5.9 s, 74.9 kWh LFP battery, 605 km CLTC range, 30–80% DC charging in about 18 minutes. The top "605 LiDAR Edition" trim (140,800 yuan) adds Leapmotor Pilot ADAS and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8650 cockpit chip. A range-extender version offers 210 km of pure-electric range from a 28.4 kWh pack plus a 1.5-litre generator.
What you're missing: One honest note first — this one is on sale in Europe and Australia; it's only America that can't have it. And what America is missing is a family electric SUV with a LiDAR-equipped trim for under US$20k. The closest US equivalent, the Tesla Model Y (~US$45k), costs more than twice as much — with ADAS hardware like this normally found on cars past US$50k.
Sources: CarNewsChina database, china-crunch.com
4. Huawei Aito M9 — the tech flagship with a built-in cinema
Price: 469,800–569,800 yuan (approx. US$67,000–81,400)
Specs: Huawei and Seres' flagship luxury SUV, and the most tech-dense car on this list. Pure-electric: dual-motor 390 kW (523 hp), 673 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 4.3–4.5 s, 100 kWh CATL battery for 605–630 km CLTC, 30–80% charging in 15 minutes on the 800V "Giant Whale" platform (150 km added in ~5 minutes). Range-extender: 365 kW combined, 1,474 km total range. The hardware list reads like a concept car: four LiDARs, Huawei Qiankun ADS 3.3 (parking-space-to-parking-space smart driving), adaptive LED matrix headlights with a built-in projector that throws a 100-inch image, triple HarmonyOS screens plus a 32-inch retractable screen and 75-inch AR HUD, 25 speakers, Nappa leather, and full-recline mid-row seats. Over 170,000 have been delivered.
What you're missing: A 523-hp flagship with four LiDARs and Huawei's best autonomous-driving stack starting around US$67k. The closest US equivalents — the Rivian R1S, the BMW X5 — run US$80k–90k+ and neither has anything like this cabin. It's a drivable movie theatre with lidar on the roof.
5. Deepal S07 — Huawei driver assist on every trim, from US$22k
Price: 156,900–173,900 yuan (approx. US$22,400–24,800)
Specs: Mid-size electric SUV from Changan's Deepal brand. Pure-electric: 200 kW (268 hp), 290 Nm, 0–100 km/h in 7.4 s, 68.82 kWh LFP battery for 550 km CLTC range; long-range variants push to 77.94 kWh and 630 km CLTC. Range-extender: up to 1,385 km combined range. The numbers aren't the headline. This is: Huawei Qiankun ADS SE smart driving is standard on every trim — nationwide highway navigation-on-autopilot, smart lane changes, and 160+ parking scenarios, backed by a 15.6-inch 2.5K display and Snapdragon 8295P chip.
What you're missing: A mid-size electric SUV with Huawei driver assist fitted on every single trim from about US$22.4k. The closest US equivalent, the Tesla Model Y (from ~US$45k), costs twice as much — and still charges you extra for its full driver-assist stack.
6. GAC Aion Y Plus — the US$14k electric crossover
Price: 99,800–189,800 yuan (approx. US$14,300–27,100)
Specs: The cheapest car on this list, and maybe the most important one. The 2025 Enjoy Edition starts at 121,800 yuan (~US$17.4k); the range runs from 99,800 yuan (~US$14.3k). Base spec: 100 kW motor, 58.4 kWh LFP battery, 510 km CLTC range. The top trim (150 kW / 204 PS, 69.8 kWh, 610 km CLTC) starts at 133,800 yuan — about US$19.1k. It's a minivan-practical compact crossover on GAC's dedicated AEP 2.0 EV platform: long 2,750 mm wheelbase, flat rear floor, five seats, pop-out door handles, and L2 driver assistance on higher trims.
What you're missing: A practical, 510-km (CLTC) electric family crossover starting at about US$14.3k. The closest US equivalent, the Chevy Bolt EUV (~US$27k), is nearly twice the price. This is the price floor that makes everything else in the US market look like a typo.
The bottom line
Last week was the heavy hitters. This week's theme is how deep the bench is: XPeng, Avatr, Leapmotor, Aito, Deepal and GAC — brands most Americans have never heard of — shipping 800-volt liftbacks, 4-LiDAR flagships, LiDAR-equipped US$17k family SUVs and a US$14k electric crossover that would reset the US price floor overnight. The technology gap isn't a couple of models; it's an entire industry operating at price points Detroit and Silicon Valley both thought were impossible.
The China Files is a weekly series — every Wednesday morning, US time, we dig up another batch of cars America can't have. Next week: the off-roaders and the workhorses — tanks, utes and the trucks America forgot to build.
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