How to buy Chinese electric cars in bulk: a guide for dealers and fleets (2026)

CRAVEUO EV Export · Sources last checked 2026-11-01 · General information, not legal advice. Nothing here is a promise or a quote.

Quick answer

Buy through a Chinese export company that holds the export licence and has the carmaker's authorisation, and name it in the contract. First confirm that the brand may be sold into your country. A dealer also has three jobs that a single buyer can skip: fix one version for the batch, match every VIN to every paper, and plan service and parts before the cars land.

Five questions to settle first

Export licence and the licensed exporter

• The licence. Pure-electric passenger cars (customs code 8703801090) have needed an export licence since 1 January 2026 (Announcement 54 of 2025). The rule names pure-electric cars, but cars in general are on the 2026 licence catalogue (Announcement 89 of 2025), so ask about the licence for plug-in hybrids and range-extenders too.
• Who holds it. Carmakers qualify, then authorise a limited number of export companies. Exporting cars that are not the company's own or not authorised can cost it its qualification (Notice 318 of 2012).
• Where to check. MOFCOM's 2026 list pairs each carmaker with its export companies (Announcement 85 of 2025, annex). Being listed shows a company may apply for a licence. It does not prove the company will perform. Our exporter checks go step by step.
• New list each year. Notice 318 sets a December publication and licences for the next year from 15 December. For 2027, a Shenzhen notice says filing opened on 30 September 2026 and closed on 23 October (Shenzhen Commerce Bureau). We did not find the 2027 list. If your batch crosses the new year, ask the exporter to show its name on the new list.
• Staged orders. A new-car licence can be used for up to 12 customs clearances while it is valid. A used-car licence covers one (Announcement 89). So a batch of nearly-new cars split over several sailings means several licences. See new or nearly new.

CRAVEUO is not that company and does not claim any carmaker's authorisation. A licensed export company is available for a project when needed, and it is the one named in the contract.

Brand authorisation and territory limits

A licence does not open every market. Limits come from the brand and differ by exporter, so one may refuse a country that another accepts. We do not list them here because they change. Confirm your country first, before you compare models.

• Ask for it in writing. Which brand, which version, your country, and the maker's authorisation for that exporter.
• Official dealers. If a brand has an official dealer in your country, start there. See official dealers.
• Xiaomi. New Xiaomi cars cannot be legally exported: Xiaomi has not authorised any exporter.
• Your country's approval. Notice 318 says that where the importing country has entry rules, the exporter must prove the cars meet them. That text is from 2012, so ask how the exporter handles it today. Ask your broker which papers your approval needs before you fix the version.

Documents to expect

Check that every paper uses the same company name and the same VIN list.

Also ask for the packing list, a copy of the export licence and the maker's authorisation. Carriers may ask for the battery's UN 38.3 test summary. Your broker decides which papers need originals or translations.

RoRo or container

Our freight table and forwarder pages disagree on which is cheaper per car, so get both quotes for your port.

Battery rules

A car with a lithium-ion battery has been UN 3556, Class 9, since 1 January 2026, and UN 3171 no longer applies (Britannia P&I, Hazcheck summary). A plug-in hybrid or range-extender may be declared differently; UN 3166 is the entry for vehicles that run on flammable liquid, so ask your forwarder.

Do not treat RoRo as free of these rules. Trade body ICHCA reads the agreed text for the next amendment (43-26, voluntary January 2027, mandatory January 2028) as removing the exemptions for lithium cars. The same text makes the shipper assess each vehicle first, and it bars leaking, flood-hit or fire-hit cars (ICHCA; agreed draft). We found no single state-of-charge figure in the sources we could read, so get the carrier's limit in writing before you book.

Inspection and payment in 4 steps

1. Sign the contract. Nothing is paid before it is signed, and payment goes only to the company account on the invoice.
2. See each car. You get the VIN and a walk-around video filmed that day, and a video call when possible. For a batch, ask for one video per VIN and tick each against the contract list.
3. Pay the deposit, usually 30%.
4. Pay the balance before shipping. Then confirm the bill of lading with the carrier.

After-sales and parts are yours to plan

The maker's warranty is a China warranty and may not apply in your country. Warranty terms are agreed in each contract. CRAVEUO is not a dealer and does not provide after-sales service. Our warranty guide gives China terms by brand.

Notice 318 makes the maker and the exporter state their joint liability for quality and after-sales in their authorisation, and it ties export rights to overseas service points. So ask the exporter what that means for your country. Don't assume a service point exists near you.

Plan these before you order:

• A workshop that agrees to service this model, with its diagnostic tools
• Parts for the wear and crash items you expect to need. For some models, our parts service can quote parts from China
• The charging plug: China-market cars use GB/T, so you may need adapters or home chargers that fit
• Software: languages and online services vary by version, so get them confirmed for yours
• Who answers your customers when a car is off the road

Our view: a batch of one version is easier than a mix, because parts, training and adapters then cover every car.

What to send for a quote

• Company name, country, and the port or inland point you want
• Who is the importer of record, and whether you hold any import licence
• Model, version and colour, with the quantity for each
• Whether new or nearly new, and any model-year limit in your country
• Charging plug and software language you need
• RoRo, container or either
• Who your customs broker is, if you have one
• Your service plan, in a line or two

Send your country, model and version through the inquiry form. We tell you whether we can supply that car before any contract.