Tesla Roadster Reveal Masks U.S. Commercialization Gap as Chinese EVs Gain in Britain

Tesla's newly unveiled Roadster demonstrates that American engineering can still produce breakthroughs, but the harder question is whether the U.S. can commercialize such technology at scale before Chinese manufacturers make comparable vehicles affordable first, former congressman Rick Lazio wrote in a Fortune commentary. Chinese automakers are already gaining ground in Britain, where the China-built Jaecoo 7 became the country's best-selling new vehicle in September. Chinese brands captured nearly a quarter of Britain's new-car market that month. The U.S. imposed a 100% Section 301 tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024, effectively closing the American market to them, but Lazio argues protection alone cannot cut battery costs or lift factory productivity. He points to the 1970s and 1980s, when the Big Three took an estimated 10 to 15 years to match Japanese production efficiency. Vehicles shipped from China accounted for 40% of global electric-car exports in 2024, according to the International Energy Agency, and average Chinese battery pack prices fell about 30% that year versus a 15% decline in the United States. Lazio urges federal and state policies that expand R&D deductions and encourage investment in robotics and smaller suppliers.