China EVs recover in Europe to pre-tariff market share level
Manufacturers led by BYD captured 10.6 per cent of all EV registrations in the region in June
LONDON – Chinese automakers surpassed a 10 per cent share of Europe's electric-vehicle market in June, marking a full comeback from tariffs set in place in 2024 by the European Union.
Manufacturers led by BYD captured 10.6 per cent of all EV registrations in the region, based on figures from industry researcher Dataforce. That was the highest since the record 11.1 per cent in June 2024, when carmakers rushed Chinese-built EVs into the bloc to beat EU duties imposed to counter state aid.
On an absolute basis, Chinese automakers sold a record number of EVs in the EU, UK and EFTA countries that include Norway and Switzerland during June, Dataforce said. Still, their overall position in Europe remains a modest one.
'In the electric car market, European protectionism worked,' said Julian Litzinger, an analyst with Dataforce.
Chinese automakers have made a number of adjustments to keep expanding in the region as they build local manufacturing capacity that would bypass the EU tariffs, which eventually took effect near the end of 2024. The levies vary by producer and apply to all Chinese-built EVs, including those made by Tesla, BMW and Volkswagen.
MG, the British nameplate owned by Chinese state-controlled SAIC Motor, drew the highest tariff rate at 45 per cent including an existing 10 per cent EU import duty. It has pivoted away from pure EVs while ramping up sales of hybrid and combustion models.
BYD, meanwhile, has kept up the EV push while adding plug-in hybrids to its repertoire. Its Seal U sport utility vehicle has vaulted the company from a standing start into Europe's top-ten for the plug-in category in the first half.
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In June, BYD again led Chinese EV sales across the EU and the UK, based on figures from automotive adviser Jato Dynamics. The company's EV sales jumped 143 per cent in the first half, while Xpeng and Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology showed even larger gains.
BYD has developed a fine-tuned pricing strategy given its cost advantages over European rivals, according to Jato analyst Felipe Munoz. The company has been aggressive with plug-in hybrids, but with fully electric cars, 'the gap with the traditional makers is not as big as you would imagine,' he said.
Tariffs that add to the sticker price are one reason, but BYD has also made a tactical adjustment. 'They don't want to upset the European carmakers and make them complain again at the EU Commission,' Munoz said. 'They are now more cautious about giving very good prices.'
Altogether, Chinese manufacturers captured a record share of all European auto registrations at 5.4 per cent in June, based on the Dataforce figures.
To be sure, BYD and MG hybrid shipments have been lifted by dealer registrations and deliveries to high-volume channels like rentals that don't always reflect empiric demand, said Dataforce's Mr Litzinger.
'They pushed their registrations to themselves to a certain degree,' he said of BYD. BLOOMBERG
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