US EditionElectric vehicle sales are booming in South America — without Tesla
Chinese electric vehicles now account for up to 29.6% of new car sales in Chile and 28% in Uruguay, driven by lower prices and new shipping routes, the International Energy Agency said.
- On November 13, 2025, Reuters images at the Port of Chancay showed Chinese automakers expanding EV sales across South America, while Tesla lacks showrooms and Chinese models sell at around 60% of Tesla prices.
- A domestic price war and surplus at home pushed manufacturers to export excess cars, while the Port of Chancay, north of Lima, opened last year and halved trans-Pacific shipping times, analysts say.
- Latest figures show EV market share hit 10.6% in Chile in September, 9.4% in Brazil in August, and 60% in Uruguay in Q3, with Peruvian customs recording 3,057 cars arriving at Chancay in July.
- The Brazilian government has moved to re-impose duties, with tariffs expected to reach around 60% by July 2026, as industry groups criticize imports exploiting low EV tariffs.
- Cosco Shipping expects 19,000 vehicle arrivals by year-end and directs regional shipments, BYD will open a fourth Lima dealership this year, and Brazil could soon mirror Chancay as a regional hub.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Electric vehicle sales are booming in South America — without Tesla
When Peruvian green energy entrepreneur Luis Zwiebach wanted to buy an electric vehicle in 2019, he flew 4,000 miles to California to test drive Tesla’s Model 3 sedan. But Tesla lacked an official importer and he couldn’t find a way around Peru’s complex vehicle import procedures.
Times of India
The Economic TimesElectric vehicle sales are booming in South America - without Tesla
Chinese car makers are widening their footprint across South America with both traditional vehicles and EVs. EVs are still a small slice of the 135,394 new cars sold in Peru in the nine months to September, according to the country's automotive association, but they are on the rise. Sales of hybrid and electric vehicles hit a record 7,256 units in that period, up 44% year on year.
South America was long considered a laggard in electromobility: Strong used car markets for combustion engine vehicles, a still very patchy charging infrastructure, large, very rural areas, comparatively low average incomes, high import taxes, and a lack of local manufacturers led many industry observers to expect that electric cars would only gain traction very slowly in South America. While the South American electric car market continues to g…
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