Call it a different kind of sticker shock.
The Beijing Auto Show that opened to the public this week is a showcase for how hypercompetition in China has driven new car prices in the world’s largest car market to a fraction of the level of the next-largest market, the U.S.
The contrast is stark.
The average new car in the U.S. in March had a list price of $51,456, according to Kelley Blue Book.
In China, there are more than 200 battery-powered models, including hybrids, for sale at less than the equivalent of $25,000, according to DCar, an information and trading platform.
Reuters compiled a list of the five best-selling electric vehicles in China that start under $12,000 using DCar data.
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.
The pure electric Geely (0175.HK), EX2 was the top-selling model domestically for any kind of vehicle in 2025.
The small EV comes with a bevy of nifty features: a front trunk, storage compartments throughout the cabin and a 14.6-inch central touchscreen running on a system that Geely developed. The top-trim version has a range of about 255 miles on the Chinese test standard.
Known as the “Star Wish” in China, the EX2 was a hit from its 2024 launch and Geely began sales in Brazil, Indonesia and Thailand last year.
“When you get in, you don’t feel like you are in a small car,” auto analyst Felipe Munoz said. “It feels better in terms of quality and bigger in terms of size.”
Wuling (0305.HK), has stretched the micro car for 2026 to accommodate four doors and a bit more seating room in the back for adults. But the boxy city car remains tiny by American standards.
You could park two of the previous-generation MiniEVs in the space needed for a regular Ford F-150, the top-selling U.S. vehicle.
Marketed for its cute quotient and cost, the basic model has a top speed equivalent to just 62 miles per hour and a China-rated battery range of just 127 miles.
The Seagull was an immediate sensation when it was released three years ago, stunning analysts with its performance, styling and above all its price.