Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) are enjoying a sales boom in Tijuana, a Mexican border city with the United States, even as the same cars remain remarkably scarce in the neighboring U.S. state of California.
The trend has caused long lines to form at EV charging stations, as Tijuana's infrastructure is still catching up to the sudden spike in EV use.
"Charging can be a bit of a struggle, there are two chargers and about six cars waiting already," said Cesar Salazar, an EV user.
The surge in EV sales in Mexico has been brisk. Industrial data shows that a total of over 95,000 electrified vehicles were sold during the first half of 2026, marking a 44 percent rise from the same period in 2025, with Chinese manufacturers accounting for a large proportion of total sales.
On the Mexican side, Chinese-made electric cars are everywhere, accounting for roughly seven in ten EV sales nationwide. Across the border in California, by contrast, they remain a rare sight, effectively barred by the 100 percent U.S. import tariff.
That means buyers in Tijuana have access to newer, cheaper electric cars unavailable to their American neighbors.
Antonio Lopez works at one of this border city's three BYD dealerships. He said a large proportion of his customers come from north of the border.
"To buy a car here you must be a Mexican citizen or legal resident, and many Americans with dual-nationality come here, buy their car, register it in Mexico, and use it to cross the border," said Lopez.
Pablo Acevedo, who holds Mexican and American dual citizenship, crossed the border for that very reason.
"They should have these agencies over there. Gas is very expensive right now, and electric cars in the U.S. cost nearly double," Acevedo said.
For Uber drivers in Tijuana like Sergio Mata, the purchase of his first electric car has boosted his own earnings.
"I had a gasoline car which would cost 50 dollars to cover the same distance that this one does on a 10 dollar charge," said Mata.
While drivers celebrate the savings, the country as a whole is embracing the shift to electric vehicles as part of its broader shift towards green mobility. Under its National Initiative for the Electrification of Collective Public Transportation (INETPC), Mexico aims to electrify public transit systems nationwide.
Chinese EV market booms south of US border in Mexico
