Bipartisanship is rare in Washington, but there’s one issue that Democrats and Republicans can seemingly agree on. We’re talking about the threat of cheap Chinese cars, which are slowly spreading across the globe.

The Biden and Trump administrations have setup a series of roadblocks including huge tariffs and a ban on connected vehicles, but some in Congress want even more action. As a result, dozens of House Democrats sent President Trump a letter expressing “significant concern” with his remarks “about allowing Chinese automakers access to the United States market.”

More: Chinese Cars Get Cheaper And Better, So U.S. Automakers Want Them Banned Even If They’re Made Here

The letter came in response to a speech Trump made at the Detroit Economic Club in January, where he said if Chinese automakers “want to ​come in and build a plant and hire you and hire your ​friends and ⁠your neighbors, that’s great, I love that.”

While those remarks were made months ago, the letter was apparently sent now because Trump is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping next month. Democrats apparently fear the President could give Chinese automakers the green light in exchange for a possible trade deal or agreement.

Getting back to the letter, it urged Trump to “take any and all decisive action necessary” to prevent Chinese automakers from gaining access to the United States. Signers went on to say “any effort to lower barriers for Chinese automobiles or otherwise facilitate their entry into the U.S. market would pose a direct threat to American manufacturing, workers, and national security.”

It went on to claim the American automotive industry supports approximately 10 million jobs and accounts for five percent of the gross domestic product. The letter then said the “Chinese auto industry does not compete on a level playing field” as it is “driven by a state-directed strategy to dominate global markets through government subsidies, below-market financing, and non-market behavior across the supply chain.”

It went onto suggest the entry of Chinese vehicles into Canada and Mexico could create a “backdoor into the United States under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.” The letter added, “Chinese-owned or controlled vehicles, regardless of where they are assembled, must not be permitted to enter our market through USMCA or any other mechanism.”

That’s a little awkward for Polestar and Volvo, but the message called for Trump to “maintain and strengthen existing tariffs and trade enforcement measures on Chinese automakers and automobiles” as well as prevent them from establishing manufacturing operations in America. Democrats went on to ask that vehicles produced by Chinese-owned or controlled entities in Canada or Mexico be explicitly prohibited from qualifying for USMCA benefits or entering the United States. On top of that, they want the government to “accelerate and expand restrictions on Chinese-connected vehicle technologies.”

Reuters reached out to the White House and was told, “While the administration is always working to secure more investment into America’s industrial resurgence, any notion that we would ever ​compromise our national ​security to do so ⁠is baseless and false.”

For their part, the Chinese Embassy called for officials to “stop overstretching the concept of national security, cease discriminatory and exclusionary measures, and provide a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment.”

However, that seems unlikely as fear of Chinese automakers is one thing that almost all politicians can get behind.

Kia is one of the fastest-moving brands in the business. Now, a keen-eyed reader believes they’ve spotted something new, a model we’ve already seen overseas showing up much closer to home. The Korean automaker has brought an EV3 prototype across the Atlantic for testing in Mexico.

It’s unclear why Kia would still wrap it in camouflage given that it’s already made its global launch, but the move could point to plans for bringing the sub-compact electric crossover to North America.

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Despite the thick camouflage covering nearly every body panel, it’s easy to match the EV3 that’s already on sale elsewhere, including Europe. The short overhangs, upright stance, and boxy rear section are all visible, along with a high roofline that suggests Kia is prioritizing interior space over sleek styling.

Photos Silvia García / Carscoops

The test vehicle also appears to ride on aero-optimized wheels similar to those seen on other Hyundai Motor Group EVs, while the front end is completely hidden under padded covers designed to conceal the final lighting signature. The reader who snapped these photos, Silvia Garcia, told us that the same vehicle has been around town for at least a few days.

Read: Kia Unveils Four New GT Models With Speed, Minus The Drama

Testing there is especially interesting, as the country already builds several Kia and Hyundai models for global markets. Running prototypes in Mexico could simply be part of evaluating local road conditions. That said, it also lines up with the idea that Kia may be eyeing Canada for the EV3.

European specification Kia EV3

Kia initially focused the EV3 on overseas markets, including Europe. When it debuted in 2024, though, the company did confirm plans for a U.S. launch, targeting late 2025 or early 2026 with a starting price in the in the low-to-mid $30,000s. That, as you may have noticed, hasn’t happened, and nobody at Kia has said much since.

A lot has changed in the meantime: the $7,500 federal tax credit is gone, the American EV market has cooled considerably, and tariffs are making the whole equation messier by the day. The awkward part is that the appetite for affordable electric cars has never been stronger.

The EV3 is built on Kia’s E-GMP platform and is currently offered with two battery options, a 58.3 kWh Standard Range and a larger 81.4 kWh Long Range pack, both driving a single front-mounted motor producing 201 hp (150 kW). Depending on the battery, WLTP range is rated at up to 372 miles (599 km), while fast charging allows a 10 to 80% top-up in roughly 30 minutes under ideal conditions.

Back in January, Kia also pulled the covers off a hotter EV3 GT, this time with a more serious edge. It uses the larger battery and bumps output to 282 hp (215 kW / 286 PS), enough to cut the 0–62 mph (100 km/h) sprint down to a claimed 5.7 seconds.

Special thanks to Silvia García for the photos!