00:01American YouTuber Ethan Robertson has his hands full at the Beijing Auto Show on Friday.
00:07He's giving more than a dozen foreign visitors a first-hand look at Chinese high-tech cars.
00:13Robertson is the co-founder of YouTube channel Wheelsboy,
00:16which specializes in Chinese cars for English-speaking audiences.
00:20The North Carolina native who lives in China said the perception of Chinese cars among U.S.
00:26viewers has changed in the six years he has been covering the industry.
00:30We have a very diverse and international audience, but our largest portion of our audience online is Americans.
00:35And I would say that Americans' response in general to Chinese cars is, why can't I buy this?
00:41Our comments section is full of people saying things like,
00:45I can't believe the government won't allow them to sell this car in my country.
00:48It's so cheap. It's so high-tech. It seems so nice.
00:51The prices are a big reason why his largely American audience react with a mix of fascination and frustration.
00:58So you're looking at a car that's maybe $30,000 U.S. dollars, as you said.
01:02And that car is fully equipped with a six-seat SUV with an extended-range powertrain, a refrigerator,
01:09a TV in the back, giant screens. And again, it's $30,000.
01:13Whereas in places like the United States, unfortunately, the market,
01:17$30,000 barely gets you into any electric vehicle or hybrid at that price point.
01:22Lei Xing, who hosts the China EVs and More podcast, is hopeful that Chinese cars will eventually reach American shores.
01:29Depending on what the C-Trump summit, what the outcome of that is,
01:35I think we could see this narrative go into a different direction.
01:39But long term, like I said, it's a matter of time.
01:42If it's not by 2028, it could be by 2030. It could be in the 2030s.
01:47I know in my life, I'm going to be able to buy a Chinese EV in the U.S.
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