Comparing headline prices alone will mislead you—quotes often bundle or exclude different items. Build a like-for-like comparison before deciding. Request every exporter to break their quote into: vehicle price, domestic transport in China, export handling and documentation fees, inspection fee, ocean freight to your port, and insurance. Then add what they exclude: your country's customs duty, VAT/GST, port charges, and local delivery. Watch for common padding: "service fees" of 3-8% that appear only in the final invoice, inflated inland transport (a truck from Guangzhou to a port should rarely exceed a few hundred dollars), and freight quotes that assume a shared container while charging you for a full one. Ask each exporter to state validity (7-14 days is normal) and whether the price is FOB or CIF. Once normalized, the cheapest quote usually isn't the lowest number—it's the one with the shortest list of exclusions and the clearest terms.

The V2L output standard for domestic models in China is 220V/50Hz. If your country's power grid standard is 110V/60Hz (like in some parts of North America), you cannot directly power local high-power appliances and will need an external transformer.

A realistic landed cost has five layers: the car price, export-side fees (deregistration, export license, inland trucking to the port), international freight and insurance, destination duties and taxes, and local charges (port handling, inspection, registration). Buyers most often underestimate three items. First, destination duties are calculated on the customs value, which may include freight, so a cheap car can still attract significant tax. Second, port and terminal charges at both ends add up; demurrage fees apply quickly if documents are late. Third, compliance costs such as homologation, emissions testing, or translation of documents can run into hundreds of dollars depending on the country. Ask every exporter for a written, itemized quote to your port, not just an FOB price, and keep a 5% contingency. Quotes that look unusually cheap usually hide costs in the freight or handling lines.