Chinese vehicle sales rise in Europe

Chinese carmakers are making deeper inroads into Europe's auto market, bringing more high-quality and affordable vehicles to consumers as their sales continue to rise.

Chinese brands accounted for a record nearly 12 percent of new car sales, a quarter of hybrid sales and about a third of plug-in hybrid sales across Europe in August, according to figures from automotive market research firm Dataforce.

Among Chinese manufacturers, BYD recorded 26,103 registrations in August, up 131 percent year-on-year, while Chery Automobile's registrations surged 210 percent to 24,332 vehicles. SAIC Motor, which owns the MG brand, sold 21,132 vehicles, an increase of 32 percent, Dataforce figures showed.

The August performance extended a rapid rise in Chinese brands' presence in the European market. Between January and July, they accounted for 8.7 percent of new-car registrations in Europe, a sharp increase from just 0.6 percent during the same period in 2021.

The growth came as Europe's shift toward electrified vehicles gathered momentum. Demand for battery-electric and hybrid vehicles combined rose 27 percent year-on-year, offsetting falling demand for vehicles powered solely by fuel and helping the overall European market expand 4.6 percent, according to Dataforce.

"Chinese NEVs have offered the right solutions at the right time in Europe over the past few years, where high energy prices and rising inflation have made consumers much more sensitive to the total cost of vehicle ownership," said Liu Yan, chief lecturer at the China Automotive Strategy and Policy Research Center.

Chinese NEVs have gained traction in Europe by offering products that combine competitive pricing with strong technology and performance, Liu said, adding that European consumers now increasingly associate Chinese-brand cars with "environmental friendliness, new technologies and stylish design".

A July survey by consulting firm McKinsey & Company found that European consumers interested in Chinese brands cited value for money, innovation and advanced electric-vehicle technologies among the main reasons for considering them. More than half of European respondents viewed Chinese automakers as technology leaders in battery-electric vehicles, while 40 percent said the same for plug-in hybrids.

Impressed by a cold-weather fast-charging demonstration from BYD, Donovan Martin, CEO and editor-in-chief of Canada-based The Daily Scrum News, praised the potential benefits of Chinese battery technology for drivers in colder climates.

"The performance is remarkable, and it would be particularly welcome in colder parts of Canada," said Martin, adding that whenever a market introduced competition, it presented local consumers with more choices.

According to the Dataforce figures, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, have emerged as a particularly strong growth driver for Chinese carmakers in Europe, offering consumers a middle ground between conventional vehicles and fully electric models amid concerns over charging access and driving range.

Matthias Schmidt, founder of Germany-based Schmidt Automotive Research, said the growing role of Chinese PHEVs in Europe has become particularly visible this year.

Chinese manufacturers accounted for 26 percent of all PHEVs registered in the 18 Western European markets tracked by the consultancy firm in the second quarter, with their share rising above 30 percent in June.

lijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn