What U.S. car companies are owned by China?
As of 2024–2025, the two best-documented U.S.-based car makers owned by Chinese firms are Karma Automotive and Terrafugia. No widely recognized traditional U.S. automaker remains fully Chinese-owned. However, many U.S. automakers participate in Chinese joint ventures or investments through foreign subsidiaries, which does not equate to ownership of the U.S. company itself.
Scope and nuance
Ownership in the automotive sector can be complex. A company may control a U.S. operation through a foreign parent, or it may hold stake in a U.S. subsidiary without full ownership. This article focuses on clear, publicly disclosed ownership of the U.S.-based vehicle makers themselves by Chinese entities.
U.S. car companies owned by Chinese firms
Two notable examples illustrate how Chinese groups have acquired or controlled U.S.-based vehicle makers.
- Karma Automotive — Wanxiang Group, a major Chinese automotive and parts conglomerate, owns Karma Automotive. The company traces its lineage to Fisker Automotive and was transformed into Karma Automotive after Wanxiang acquired Fisker’s assets in 2014. Karma operates as a U.S.-based EV maker with facilities in California and other sites.
- Terrafugia — A U.S.-based maker of flying cars that Geely, the Chinese automaker, acquired in 2017 and integrated as a Geely subsidiary. Terrafugia continues to operate in the United States under Geely ownership.
These cases are the clearest publicly documented instances of Chinese ownership of U.S.-based vehicle makers. Other Chinese involvement in the U.S. auto sector typically appears as investments or joint ventures with U.S. brands operating in China, rather than ownership of the U.S. company itself.
Context and implications
The broader U.S.–China automotive relationship features substantial Chinese investment and partnerships, especially in China, but wholesale ownership of U.S.-based automakers by Chinese firms remains limited. Analysts consider these ownership cases within the context of cross-border finance, technology transfer, and regulatory oversight.
Summary
Two U.S.-based car companies are publicly documented as being owned by Chinese firms: Karma Automotive (owned by Wanxiang Group) and Terrafugia (owned by Geely). No other traditional U.S. automakers are publicly known to be completely Chinese-owned. The market continues to feature significant Chinese involvement through partnerships and investments rather than outright ownership of U.S. brands.
What U.S. car brands are made in China?
Several American-branded cars, including the Lincoln Nautilus and Buick Envision, are manufactured in China for both the Chinese and US markets. Additionally, some cars from brands with American ownership, such as the Volvo S90 and Polestar 2, are also built in China.
- Lincoln Nautilus: The second-generation Nautilus is produced at a joint Ford-Changan Automobile factory in Hangzhou, China.
- Buick Envision: This compact SUV is manufactured in China by a General Motors joint venture (SAIC-GM) and sold in both the Chinese and North American markets.
- Volvo S90: Volvo's flagship luxury sedan for the U.S. market is built at its Daqing factory in China.
- Polestar 1 and 2: Polestar, a subsidiary of Volvo, manufactures its vehicles, including the Polestar 2 electric vehicle, in Chengdu, China.
- Chevrolet Equinox: Some models of the Chevrolet Equinox are assembled in China, alongside plants in Mexico.
- Volvo EX30: Volvo's new EX30 is also manufactured in China for the US market.
How much of Ford does China own?
Changan Ford
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Key people | He Xiaoqing (President and CEO) Yang Dayong (Executive Vice President) |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Owner | Changan Automobile (50%) Ford Motor Company (50%) |
| Number of employees | 10,000+ |
Is Subaru owned by China?
Subaru (スバル; /ˈsuːbəruː/ or /sʊˈbɑːruː/; Japanese pronunciation: [sɯꜜbaɾɯ]) is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the twenty-first largest automaker by production worldwide in 2017.
What car brands are owned by China?
Other Chinese car manufacturers, both from public and private sectors, like Geely, BAIC, BYD, Chery, GAC, Great Wall, JAC and Seres, emerged as the major players with the expansion of the Chinese automotive industry.
