A $25,000 electric vehicle sounds like exactly what Canadian consumers have been waiting for. But when that bargain comes from China, the real cost may have little to do with the sticker price.
Earlier this year, as part of the strategic partnership with China, Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed to allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) into the Canadian market at a favourable tariff rate. These EVs have just begun to arrive with prices between $25,000 to $35,000 – approximately half the current average cost for an EV in Canada. But before Canadian consumers get too excited or seek to jump behind the wheel of a freshly imported BYD or Dongfeng, they should understand why Canada had a prohibitive tariff rate on Chinese EVs prior to this year and what security risks the high-tech automobiles pose to both drivers and the country as a whole.
