$25K Electric Cars Next Door… While Americans Pay $40K+
Canada quietly cut tariffs, invited Chinese EVs in, and now U.S. dealers are sweating through their suits.
Here’s how you know something’s broken.
When car dealers start yelling that cheaper cars are “bad for consumers.”
That’s not patriotism.
That’s margin protection.
While Washington was busy chest-thumping about 100% tariffs, Canada did something boring and practical.
They lowered theirs.
From 100%… down to 6.1%.
No fireworks.
No speeches.
Just a quiet policy change with a calculator beside it.
Result?
Up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles allowed in year one.
Growing to 70,000 by year five.
And at least half priced under $35,000 CAD — about $25,000 USD.
Twenty-five grand.
That’s used-Corolla money.
Meanwhile, Americans are staring at $40K+ price tags and wondering why “affordable EV” sounds like a joke.
Now here’s where it gets spicy.
These aren’t golf carts with batteries.
Companies like BYD… which already outsold Tesla globally last year…
are lining up models around $24K–$30K Canadian.
Modern tech.
300–400 km range.
Five-star safety.
Not junk.
Real cars.
The kind regular families can actually buy.
And that’s what has the American dealer lobby in full cardiac arrest.
Because the threat isn’t “China.”
It’s math.
The U.S. franchise system adds thousands… sometimes tens of thousands… in markup.
Inventory spreads.
Dealer fees.
Financing tricks.
Service lock-ins.
It’s a toll booth.
And you don’t notice the toll… until someone builds a free road beside you.
Canada just built the free road.
But here’s the part nobody in Washington seems to grasp.
This isn’t just cheaper imports.
Canada baked in a condition…
If Chinese automakers want access, they must invest and build in Canada within a few years.
Joint ventures.
Factories.
Local jobs.
It’s basically China’s old playbook… flipped back on them.
“So you want our market? Fine. Bring your plants with you.”
That’s chess.
The U.S. approach?
“Block everything and hope voters don’t notice prices.”
That’s checkers.
Picture this.
Folks in Buffalo or Detroit looking across the border.
Their Canadian neighbors are driving brand-new $25K EVs.
Same tech.
Half the price.
Meanwhile Americans are financing $45K rides for seven years like it’s a mortgage.
You don’t need an economics degree to know how that conversation goes at the dinner table.
Protectionism sounds great… until your cousin saves fifteen grand.
Dealers know what happens next.
If manufacturers sell direct… no middleman… the gravy train dries up.
No fat markup.
No forced service.
No easy financing rake.
Translation?
Less dealer profit.
But they’ll dress it up as “national security” and “consumer safety,” because that sounds nicer than:
“Please protect our margins.”
This whole thing feels like watching someone board up their house during a rainstorm… while the neighbor installs solar panels and a sump pump.
One blocks the weather.
The other prepares for the future.
Guess who wins five years from now?
Canada might get…
• cheaper cars
• happier consumers
• new factories
• new jobs
The U.S. gets…
• higher prices
• fewer choices
• and a dealer lobby yelling at Congress
All because tariffs were supposed to look tough on TV.
Turns out tough doesn’t mean smart.
Markets don’t care about slogans.
They care about price.
And once people see the same car for half the money…
the story writes itself.
The Recap…
Canada just opened the door to $25K electric cars.
The U.S. slammed theirs shut with 100% tariffs.
Now American dealers are panicking… not about China…
but about losing their markup.
Funny how “protecting consumers” always costs consumers more.
The Gut Punch Line…
You can’t call it protection when the only thing you’re protecting is your profit.
Source Credit
Source: Policy details and industry reactions summarized from reporting by CBC and automotive trade coverage.
Canada Strong Movement… House Rule & Disclosure
Canada Strong exists to defend Canadian sovereignty, democratic norms, and economic independence… without imported talking points or borrowed outrage.
House rule… Facts and good-faith discussion are welcome. I use AI tools to help turn my spoken drafts into clear writing. I’m 73, my hands shake, and I type with two fingers… so I speak first, then edit.
The ideas, positions, and final message are mine.
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Not so long ago this deal would have been shrouded with the suspicion of political interference. Now, thanks to the Albertan approach to USA for funding to assist separation, there is absolutely clear political interference from our former safe partner.
Canadian car buyers now have a choice between competitively priced EVs with a ghost of suspicion, and expensive EVs with the certainty of duplicity!
Your move, Donnie!