BEIJING — China loves electric cars: making them, driving them and selling them to the rest of the world. Electric vehicles have been widely adopted in China, thanks in part to years of now-defunct government subsidies and a fast-growing network of charging stations. According to the International Energy Agency, almost half of the cars sold in China in 2024 were electric, compared with about 1 in 10 in the U.S. But despite growing global interest in the innovative sector, Chinese electric cars remain out of reach for consumers in the world’s second-largest auto market, the United States. Advanced technology and affordable prices have driven the explosive success of Chinese electric vehicles such as BYD’s Sealion 06, a midsize SUV that “NBC Nightly News” took on a test drive in Beijing. The Sealion 06 has leather seats, massage features, an infotainment touch screen and a mini fridge and charges in minutes — and sells in China for the equivalent of about $20,000. “This feels like luxury, but not a luxury price,” said Lei Xing, a Chinese American podcaster and consultant who covers the auto industry, likening BYD to the “Volkswagen of China.” The Sealion 06, which launched almost a year ago, is not yet available in the United States, but “the key word is yet,” Xing said in an interview Monday at a BYD dealership in Beijing. China dominates the EV industry, with its brands responsible for about two-thirds of global sales in 2024, according to the IEA. None of those sales were in the U.S., where Chinese EVs are shut out of the market. Interest in Chinese EVs appears to be growing among Americans, especially as energy shocks from the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran send gas prices soaring. According to a recent study by Cox Automotive, 38% of Americans say