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Why U.S. Car Influencers Love Chinese EVs—and Why China Wants Their Attention

Chinese EVs offer creators a mix of striking features and an access gap: U.S. audiences can watch cars they may not be able to buy. That attention can also serve automakers’ global marketing, without proving claims of hidden payments.
Entry114 Date Time6 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Chinese EVs make compelling videos for two reasons: they pack unfamiliar technology and features into eye-catching vehicles, and most U.S. viewers cannot simply go out and buy the models being shown. That access gap fuels curiosity, while coverage by American creators can help Chinese automakers introduce their cars to audiences beyond China. The product appeal and the marketing strategy are connected, but neither proves that a creator was secretly paid to promote a vehicle.

What makes Chinese EVs compelling on camera?

Creators can show viewers vehicles that look, feel, or function differently from familiar U.S.-market models. In reporting published by The Verge on November 25, 2025, car creator Omar Rana, known as OmarDrives, described the rapid improvement and dense feature sets he saw after DCar Studio invited him to view Chinese EVs in Los Angeles.

Features viewers can see and compare

The report uses the Geely Galaxy E5 as a concrete example: it describes a compact SUV with heated, ventilated, and massaging seats, a digital instrument display, a head-up display, a reclining passenger seat, and a 360-degree camera. The article’s cited $20,000 price is an example in that report, not a current quote or a U.S.-market price.

Other vehicles give creators distinctive visual subjects. Marques Brownlee featured the Li Auto Mega in a video titled “The Best EV You Can’t Buy.” The Verge reported 1.6 million views at publication; that is a dated count, not its current total. Doug DeMuro covered the Fangchengbao Leopard 5, Xiaomi SU7, and MG Cyberster, while Forrest Jones made a video about the Yangwang U8. These are examples of creator coverage, not buying recommendations.

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Novelty is part of the story

Omar Rana’s account also points to a before-and-after contrast: he had previously tried a Chinese-made gas SUV that he recalled as performing poorly, but said the newer vehicles had improved quickly. That is his personal account, not a comprehensive assessment of Chinese automakers or their entire model range.

Why U.S. viewers watch cars they cannot buy

When a video features a car that is unavailable to its audience, the lack of access becomes part of the appeal. Viewers can compare unfamiliar features and ask why the vehicle is not sold locally. Doug DeMuro put the draw this way: “I think the appeal of covering Chinese-market vehicles is that we aren’t offered these vehicles in the US, which makes audiences interested in how they operate and how they differ from American-market vehicles.”

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The Verge report says tariffs and software-related rules have made U.S. sales extremely difficult. That is the report’s explanation, not an independent assessment here of current U.S. law. Availability and import rules can change, and the reporting does not establish whether any particular model can be imported by an individual buyer.

Access gap, not a purchase guide

The Yangwang U9 illustrates how a car can become a viral subject even when U.S. availability is uncertain. The Verge reported that IShowSpeed bought one during a tour of China and described its suspension system as able to make it jump several inches. The report also notes uncertainty about whether the car could be imported into the United States. The video-friendly feature and the unresolved access question are separate facts; neither establishes that U.S. viewers can legally or practically buy one.

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Why Chinese automakers value U.S. creators

Creator videos can introduce a car to viewers who might never encounter it through a local showroom or advertisement. Mark Greeven, a professor of management innovation and dean of Asia at IMD Business School, argues that English-speaking American influencers have an outsized role in shaping Western opinion. He describes work with them as part of a “charm offensive,” while noting that Chinese automakers are also pursuing markets where their vehicles can be sold.

The strategy therefore does not require a near-term U.S. sales plan to make sense. A video can build name recognition and shape perceptions abroad even if the featured model is aimed at another market. DCar Studio, which invited creators to see vehicles, is connected in the report to Dongchedi, a car-trading platform owned by ByteDance.

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Two different forms of automotive influence

Greeven contrasts U.S. creators’ emphasis on independence with some Chinese livestream sellers, whom he describes as company employees who build followings while selling products. That is his characterization of some sellers, not a claim about all Chinese influencers or platforms. A creator reviewing a vehicle for an audience and an employee livestreaming to sell it may both influence buyers, but their roles and incentives can differ.

What the sponsorship concerns do—and do not—show

The Verge report describes rumors and creator concerns about hidden payments for coverage. The creators interviewed could not provide evidence that automakers secretly paid creators to feature Chinese vehicles. Some described policies against accepting automaker compensation. The distinction matters: questions about incentives are worth asking, but suspicion is not proof of a covert deal.

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Roman Mica of TFL Studios said his outlet earns through YouTube advertising rather than automaker payments. He also criticized the possibility that creators might receive direct checks from manufacturers. His comments express his account and view; they do not establish how other channels are paid.

Disclosure and access can affect how coverage is perceived

Mica raised concerns about sponsorship transparency on Facebook and Instagram. Tommy Mica worried that paid creators could receive earlier access and that manufacturers might gain more control over coverage. These are the creators’ observations, not quantified findings about the industry as a whole. Early access, a paid partnership, and an undisclosed payment are distinct situations; the reporting does not establish that an early look at a car proves a sponsorship.

For viewers, the practical questions are whether a creator discloses a paid relationship, whether the vehicle was supplied or made available by a company, and whether the video distinguishes firsthand impressions from claims made by the automaker. The report supports scrutiny of incentives, not a blanket conclusion that coverage of Chinese EVs is bought.

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What China’s automotive social-media numbers indicate

Separate measures of Chinese social-media activity and buyer interest help explain why automotive marketing on social platforms matters. They do not show that influencer videos caused sales, or that U.S. viewers are buying the vehicles featured in them.

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Measure Reported figure What it describes
Automotive trending topics on Weibo 232% year-over-year growth in 2024 Platform trending-topic activity, reported in the 2025 Weibo Platform Automotive Ecosystem Report summary.
New-energy-vehicle brand share of advertising on Weibo 11% growth in 2024 Change in advertising share, as reported in the same Weibo summary.
Long-term automotive-interest users on Weibo More than 8 million in 2024; interactions by these users exceeded 3.6 billion Platform audience and interaction figures reported in the same Weibo summary.
Short-term-interest users gained around the Beijing Auto Show Nearly 27 million Around-event platform audience growth reported in the same Weibo summary.
Premium German-brand buyers in China considering premium Chinese EV brands 40% in 2024, up from 7% in 2023 Initial consideration sets in McKinsey’s China auto consumer survey, published in 2025.
Mass multinational-brand buyers in China considering mass Chinese brands 70% in 2024, up from 49% in 2023 Initial consideration sets in the same McKinsey survey.

The Weibo figures describe platform activity and advertising; the McKinsey figures describe what Chinese consumers included in their initial consideration sets. Neither is a measure of U.S. demand, and neither establishes that influencer coverage caused vehicle purchases.

How to read the next viral Chinese-car video

  • Separate the car from the access story. A striking feature can be real even if the vehicle is not offered for sale where you live.
  • Check the market and date. A price or availability claim tied to a Chinese-market model is not automatically a current U.S. price or a path to purchase.
  • Look for clear relationship disclosures. A company invitation, early access, a supplied vehicle, and paid promotion are not interchangeable; ask what the creator actually says about the relationship.
  • Keep viral reach in perspective. A view count reported at publication is a snapshot of attention, not evidence of sales or lasting popularity.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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