How Chinese EV makers are winning in Brazil

On the streets of Rio de Janeiro, it’s not hard to spot the latest sign of China’s growing global auto ambitions. Electric vehicles from Chinese brands like BYD and Great Wall Motor have been flowing in.

“There are a lot of Chinese cars on the streets,” said EV owner Sérgio Ramalho.

Brazil has become the newest frontier for China’s electric vehicle boom. The country imported about 138,000 electric and hybrid vehicles from China in 2024, nearly 100,000 more than the year before, according to Brazilian customs data.

Chinese automakers, who are blocked from the U.S. market, have turned their focus toward emerging economies.

“Chinese EV makers are facing a lot of pressure within China,” said Ilaria Mazzocco, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “They’ve been going abroad in a very big way.”