I did not think the other replies were very adequate so adding my thoughts.
There are a lot of chinese ICE manufacturers. Even before that, there were a number of Euro/American brands that were manufacturering in China for the domestic market. In the beginning these brands were not seen as high quality or reliable. You would pay a premium for a vehicle that was not manufactured domestically, regardless if it was a domestic or foreign brand. Things have changes significantly over the last 10 years. Quality has greatly improved and there is a significant sense of national pride for these brands, which I think only helps if further the desire for these brands to build better products.
The timing of quality improvements and the new global market demand for EV makes it a great time to expand. If they were to expand into the US market with an ICE platform, they would have had to fight the long uphill battle like Hyundai did to make a name for themselves.
There are a lot of chinese ICE manufacturers. Even before that, there were a number of Euro/American brands that were manufacturering in China for the domestic market. In the beginning these brands were not seen as high quality or reliable. You would pay a premium for a vehicle that was not manufactured domestically, regardless if it was a domestic or foreign brand. Things have changes significantly over the last 10 years. Quality has greatly improved and there is a significant sense of national pride for these brands, which I think only helps if further the desire for these brands to build better products.
The timing of quality improvements and the new global market demand for EV makes it a great time to expand. If they were to expand into the US market with an ICE platform, they would have had to fight the long uphill battle like Hyundai did to make a name for themselves.