We drove Chinese EVs to see why rival automakers are worried

Trade groups say Chinese electric vehicles pose an "existential threat" to the U.S. auto industry.

China currently makes about one out of every three of the world's new vehicles, and it has the capacity to make even more, according to research firm Dunne Insights. But faced with a growing preference for hybrids at home and a brutal price war, Chinese automakers want to export more vehicles abroad.

"It's hard to process that because we don't see Chinese cars on American roads," said Dunne Insights founder and CEO Michael Dunne. "Trust me. Go to Australia, to Mexico, to Brazil, to Israel, to South Africa. You're going to see Chinese cars all over the place."

Even as China is making progress on its EV goals, the Tesla Model Y became the best-selling vehicle in the world last year, in 2023, according to JATO Dynamics. It also holds the No. 1 sales rank for EVs in the U.S., as well as being one of the nation's top sellers overall.

So how do Chinese EVs stack up? CNBC Beijing bureau chief Eunice Yoon tested four of them — and the Model Y — to see how they compare to the world's top seller, and to give some insight into how non-China rivals might compete against them.

Watch the video to learn more.