Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: China&#39;s largest carmaker on Wednesday launched sales of its EVs in Argentina, taking advantage of the lifting of import tariffs for electric and hybrid vehicles and boosting its fast-growing footprint in South America.&nbsp;The models for sale are the electric Yuan Pro SUV, Song Pro plug-in hybrid SUV, and the electric Dolphin Mini.&nbsp; They all have a price of under $16,000 at origin before taxes and fees to take advantage of a new measure by Argentina&#39;s government to allow up to 50,000 electric and hybrid vehicles without tariffs in 2026.&nbsp;Chinese brands dominate this sector, and Argentina has said it expects imports of about 40,000 electric and hybrid vehicles to enter the country by the end of January.&nbsp;Normally, imported cars from brands that do not have manufacturing operations in Argentina or other members of South America&#39;s trade bloc Mercosur, which includes Brazil, pay a 35% tariff.&nbsp;Stephen Deng, the country manager for BYD in Argentina, said that BYD can currently import about 7,800 electric and hybrid cars under an allocation it was given by Argentina.&nbsp;&quot;We see great potential in the long term for Argentina to develop electromobility,&quot; Deng told Reuters at a launch event on Wednesday, calling the new policy a &quot;tremendous opportunity.&quot;&nbsp;Local dealers say the tariff scheme will likely benefit lower-cost Chinese carmakers such as BYD, which is expanding across South America.&nbsp;&quot;We will see a rebound, demand will finally take off in Argentina,&quot; said Felipe Munoz, a global automotive analyst at JATO Dynamics based in Italy, referring to local EV sales.&nbsp;Argentina has the second-largest car market in South America, after Brazil, but it also has the region&#39;s smallest penetration of electric vehicles.&nbsp;From January through August 2025, only 486 electric cars out of a total of 421,000 were sold in Argentina, according to Munoz. For years, importers faced unfavorable exchange rates to import electric vehicles, forcing many consumers to buy combustion-engine cars manufactured locally.&nbsp;Argentina&#39;s overall car market as measured in new vehicles registered, jumped 60.4% in the first nine months of the year compared with a year prior, buoyed by tariff reductions and improved credit lines, industry data from September show.

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China’s BYD launched its electric and hybrid vehicles in Argentina after tariff cuts, expanding its South American presence as the country aims to import 50,000 EVs by 2026.

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China's BYD expands South American footprint with Argentina EV launch