Is China's EV market takeover inevitable as Chinese automakers prepare to gain a foothold in North America? On the outskirts of the Chinese port city of Ningbo, surrounded by lush green hills topped with giant wind turbines to harness the power of the gales off the East China Sea, is a factory where bosses believe they're making the cars of the future.
It's where the Geely Auto Group, one of China's largest EV makers, produces its luxury brand Zeekr. The name is a merging of two concepts — Zee stands for Generation Z, and Kr is the chemical symbol for Krypton. Yes, the same element at the heart of the rock that drains Superman's powers.
Is it a metaphor for what's ahead, as China appears to be on course to dominate the global auto market?
Inside the massive plant, which started operating in 2023, giant mechanical arms guided by artificial intelligence work in unison to assemble the vehicles. The plant is 99% automated; machines building machines. The occasional human worker monitors the process.
Zeekr Vice President of manufacturing Zhao Chunlin used to work for General Motors. He told CBS News he admires and respects U.S. automakers, as he discussed the 100-year-plus legacies of GM and Ford.
But Zhao, and China, are focused on the future, not the past, and he was confident that he's now working for a company in a country that many believe will dictate the future terms of the auto industry — and potentially obliterate the opposition. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-ev-electric-vehicles-chinese-automakers-gain-foothold-north-america/
CBS NEWS
Is China's EV market takeover inevitable as Chinese automakers prepare to gain a foothold in North America?
A trade deal with Canada is about to give Chinese EV makers already grabbing major market share elsewhere a foothold just over the Detroit River.
September 2, 2026 590 3
