I haven't dug into this, but are they actually banned? I thought no one had tried to get them through the process to get them federalized for the US and I'm sure the tariffs make it counter intuitive at this time.
Kandy has twice tried to pass dot.
First time they opted the Nev route and even with that very low bar got pushed out for refusing to use DOT windshields .
Second time they attempted repeatedly to pass federalized hwy requirements.
They got past all the hurdles but refused to use a DOT compliant airbags trying to push their non-compliant Chinese ones and a second time had to sell their inventory of cars with a speed limiter as NEVs.
BYD Had US cars for fleet sale only circa 2013, no idea how that worked but a small number made it to our roads.
Coda a Chinese company sold a small number of overpriced federalized EVs with a very 90’s look about a decade ago,
A small number made it to roads, they promptly went under, hobbiests bought remaining inventory and the cars were very poopie electronic wise.
Wheego a Merican outlet for a Chinese NEV company decided to start selling a federalized version of their whip for us highways, small numbers went mostly to gated elderly communities, they used commodity lifepo4 which have an unfortunate tendency to periodically drop a cell bricking the car.
The charger and inverter have also been somewhat meh requiring the same amount of knowledge and work to keep running as a home built hobby EV.
If we go back there actually have been many Chinese cars sold in the us in small numbers over the last 20 years, all failures.
Miles was a Chinese nev
Flybo was a Chinese Nev that notoriously only had 1 validated sale because smart sued .
2x 3 wheeled Chinese vehicles sold, 1 EV , 1 gas both sold by small companies that normally market side by sides.
There are many others but this list would be a mile long of very low volume NEVs pushed over the decades.
And don’t get me started on the 2 wheeler market that is impossible to even track
