U.S. auto market predictions for 2030: More hybrids, no Chinese entrants

New vehicles parked at a production base of SAIC General Motors Corporation Limited on Sept. 11, 2025, in Shanghai, China.Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesA new report casts serious doubt on whether a wave of Chinese cars and SUVs will hit the U.S. by 2030, let alone well into the next decade."I think the near-term dynamics are relatively low, relatively unlikely to support an entry to the U.S. market," said automotive analyst John Murphy, who is releasing his latest outlook for the U.S. auto market on Tuesday. Despite growing speculation that it won't be long until Chinese autos are sold in the U.S., Murphy said he believes there is little appetite among U.S. lawmakers to allow that to happen, mainly because of the impact it could have on U.S. automakers and domestic auto production. "I think an entree of the Chinese with unfettered access in the U.S. market would be incredibly disruptive, even if they produced here in the U.S.," he told CNBC.Vehicles built in China and imported into the U.S. currently face a 100% tariff under the Trump administration's trade policies. That has effectively kept almost all Chinese brands from selling their vehicles in the country. Starting ne...