英语新闻丨中国电动汽车制造商在美找到立足点

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are finding a foothold in the United States' autonomous-driving market as suppliers of purpose-built vehicle platforms, even as steep tariffs and security restrictions keep Chinese-branded EVs out of US showrooms.

尽管高额关税和安全限制使中国品牌电动汽车无法进入美国展厅，但中国电动汽车制造商正以专用车辆平台供应商的身份，在美国自动驾驶市场找到了立足点。

Since 2024, Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer Zeekr has shipped more than 3,200 minivan-like CM1e vehicle platforms — including over 2,600 this year — to the US, where Waymo is its only known partner, business magazine Forbes reported, citing data compiled by US research firm ImportGenius. New York-based investment research firm Moffett-Nathanson estimates that Waymo is receiving around 300 units per month.
据商业杂志《福布斯》援引美国研究公司ImportGenius汇编的数据报道，自2024年以来，中国新能源汽车制造商极氪已向美国运送了超过3200个类似小型货车的CM1e车辆平台——其中包括今年以来的2600多个——其已知的唯一合作伙伴是Waymo。总部位于纽约的投资研究公司Moffett-Nathanson估计，Waymo每月接收约300辆。

"What Waymo needs is not an ordinary passenger car, but a purpose-built robotaxi platform with a flat floor, low step-in height, sliding doors, ample space and suitability for high-frequency operations," said Zhang Hong, a senior NEV industry expert at the China Automobile Dealers Association.
中国汽车流通协会新能源汽车行业高级专家章弘表示：“Waymo需要的不是普通乘用车，而是一款专用机器人出租车平台，要求地板平整、离地间隙低、配备滑动门、空间宽敞，并适合高频运营。”

"European and US automakers would struggle to meet such demand at short notice, while China's supply chain can quickly tailor a platform to Waymo's needs," he added.
“欧美汽车制造商很难在短时间内满足这样的需求，而中国的供应链可以快速根据Waymo的需求定制平台，”他补充道。

This advantage is reflected in the cost structure. In July, Philipp Kampshoff, McKinsey's global co-leader for automotive and assembly practice, wrote that Chinese automakers are "producing at 30 percent lower bill-of-materials cost and 30 percent lower capital expenditure".
这一优势体现在成本结构上。7月，麦肯锡全球汽车与装配业务联合负责人菲利普·坎普肖夫撰文称，中国汽车制造商“在物料清单成本和资本支出方面均低30%”。

Kampshoff added that in addition to the cost advantage, Chinese vehicles are often more technologically advanced than their Western counterparts and favored by younger consumers.
坎普肖夫还指出，除了成本优势，中国汽车通常比西方同类产品技术更先进，也更受年轻消费者青睐。

Dense industrial clusters
产业集群密集

Zhang, the NEV industry expert, attributed part of that advantage to China's dense industrial clusters, which bring together battery makers, electric-drive suppliers, automakers and engineering teams, thereby accelerating the transition from prototype to mass production.
新能源汽车行业专家章弘将这一优势部分归因于中国密集的产业集群——电池制造商、电驱动供应商、整车厂和工程团队汇聚于此，从而加速了从原型车到量产的转化。

For a robotaxi operator expanding into new cities, he said, delivery speed and a platform designed for fleet use may outweigh the tariff bill.
他表示，对于向新城市扩张的机器人出租车运营商来说，交付速度和为车队设计的平台可能比关税账单更重要。

The arrangement has survived a sharp increase in US trade barriers. Washington increased the Section 301 tariff on Chinese EVs to 100 percent in September 2024, followed by a separate 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles taking effect in April 2025. Together with the standard 2.5 percent duty on passenger cars, covered China-built EVs can face tariffs of 127.5 percent.
这种合作模式经受住了美国贸易壁垒大幅提高的考验。华盛顿于2024年9月将针对中国电动汽车的301条款关税提高至100%，随后于2025年4月对进口汽车单独征收25%的关税。加上乘用车2.5%的标准关税，中国制造的电动汽车面临的总关税可达127.5%。

"Tariffs can keep out some consumer cars, but they cannot block commercial fleets' real demand for mature, low-cost and customizable platforms," Zhang said.
“关税可以阻挡部分消费级汽车，但无法阻挡商业车队对成熟、低成本、可定制平台的真实需求，”章弘说。

US security rules have also shaped the division of work. The US Department of Commerce's connected-vehicle rule restricts China-linked vehicle connectivity and automated driving software from model year 2027 onward, while restrictions on covered connectivity hardware will take effect from model year 2030.
美国的安全规定也影响了分工。美国商务部关于联网汽车的规定，从2027年车型年起限制与中国相关的车辆联网和自动驾驶软件，而针对联网硬件的限制将从2030年车型年起生效。

In this regard, the imports are not finished robotaxis. Zeekr ships vehicle bodies and chassis without autonomous driving systems. Waymo then installs its sensor and computing system at a factory in Mesa, Arizona, and validates the vehicles for intelligent passenger service.
因此，进口的并非成品机器人出租车。极氪运送的是不含自动驾驶系统的车身和底盘。Waymo随后在亚利桑那州梅萨的一家工厂安装其传感器和计算系统，并对车辆进行智能客运服务验证。

"US companies can reduce costs through such cross-border specialization while keeping algorithms, data and operating platforms at home," Zhang said, adding that, more broadly, the model points to continued cooperation in less sensitive manufacturing, even as competition in software and data intensifies.
“美国公司可以通过这种跨境专业化降低成本，同时将算法、数据和运营平台留在国内，”章弘说，并补充道，从更广的视角看，这种模式表明，即便在软件和数据领域的竞争加剧，在敏感度较低的制造环节仍会保持合作。

"It (the cooperation pattern) would likely be that China provides the manufacturing backbone and the US controls the intelligent systems, with each side retaining the most critical part of the value chain," he said.
“（这种合作模式）很可能是中国提供制造基础，美国控制智能系统，双方各自保留价值链中最关键的部分，”他说。

Warning for Chinese EVs
对中国电动汽车的警示

However, Zhang added that the model also carries a warning for Chinese companies: If they remain only hardware suppliers, the higher-margin service revenue and customer relationships still stay with their US partners.
然而，章弘补充说，这种模式也给中国企业带来警示：如果它们仅作为硬件供应商，利润率更高的服务收入和客户关系仍掌握在美国合作伙伴手中。

"Auto exports were once judged largely by shipment volumes. But today, the more important question is what enables Chinese automakers to establish a lasting presence after entering an overseas market," said Wu Songquan, a senior expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.
中国汽车技术研究中心资深专家吴松泉表示：“汽车出口曾主要以出货量来衡量。但如今，更重要的问题是什么能使中国汽车制造商在进入海外市场后建立持久的市场地位。”

"Chinese automakers now face far more than product competition in global markets. They must navigate an entirely new environment shaped by tariffs, regulatory compliance, localization, supply-chain security, data rules and industrial policy," Wu said.
“中国汽车制造商现在在全球市场面临的远不止产品竞争。它们必须应对一个由关税、合规监管、本地化、供应链安全、数据规则和产业政策共同塑造的全新环境，”吴松泉说。

autonomous-driving /ɔːˈtɒnəməs ˈdraɪvɪŋ/自动驾驶

purpose-built /ˈpɜːpəs bɪlt/专用定制的

steep tariffs /stiːp ˈtærɪfs/高额关税

higher-margin /haɪə ˈmɑːdʒɪn/利润更高的

shipment volumes /ˈʃɪpmənt ˈvɒljuːmz/出货量

regulatory compliance /ˌreɡjʊlətəri kəmˈplaɪəns/合规监管

localization /ˌləʊkəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/本地化