This Is What Happens When You Don't Tariff Chinese EVs

This Is What Happens When You Don't Tariff Chinese EVs

Latin America has seen a boom in EV adoption, particularly in Costa Rica. Consumers, influenced by rising gas prices, are buying more EVs than ever. Many Chinese brands are dominating, thanks to their affordable offerings. The cost to fill up in the US has risen sharply in the first few months of 2026, including back-to-back 25-cent weekly jumps that pushed the national average to $4.51 at the time of publishing. The pain isn’t localized either.…

In Costa Rica, Chinese EVs are squeezing out US and European brands

As US and European automakers struggle to stall the EV transition, the countries described by the automotive media as “Rest of World” are increasingly choosing Chinese EVs. Electric vehicle sales in Latin America, Africa and much of Asia grew by 48 percent in 2025, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. The latest country to hit the headlines for its growing EV parc is Costa Rica. The New York Times reports that EVs accounted for 18 percen…