Key facts
- Sales of Chinese hybrid cars in the EU jumped from 659 in 2022 to 160,662 in the first seven months of this year.
- Plug-in hybrid sales from China rose from 56,706 in 2022 to 217,764 in the first seven months of this year.
- Hybrid cars now represent nearly 37% of the overall EU market, while electric cars make up over 21%.
- BYD and Geely are among Chinese manufacturers experiencing triple-digit growth in the EU.
- Geely sold 205,000 cars in the EU in the first eight months, while BYD sold 177,000 units.
- Elon Musk's Tesla sold 142,000 cars in the EU in the first seven months.
Sales of Chinese hybrid cars in the European Union have surged dramatically in the first seven months of this year, raising concerns in Brussels about the future of the European car industry. Fully hybrid car sales from China rose from just 659 in 2022 to 160,662 in the first seven months of 2024. Similarly, plug-in hybrid vehicle sales increased from 56,706 in 2022 to 217,764 in the same period.
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) reported that hybrid cars now constitute nearly 37% of the overall EU market, with electric cars accounting for just over 21%. Chinese manufacturers BYD, Chery, and Leapmotor have seen significant triple-digit growth. Geely, which owns Volvo and Polestar, remains the most popular Chinese brand with 205,000 cars sold in the first eight months, while BYD's sales grew 163% to 177,000 units. Both are now ahead of Tesla, which sold 142,000 cars in the EU in the first seven months.
European manufacturers still lead the market, with the Volkswagen group selling 2 million cars in the first eight months. The European Commission has expressed alarm over the escalating trade deficit with China, described by President Ursula von der Leyen as an unsustainable "tipping point." The EU’s trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, is set to meet his Chinese counterpart, Wang Wentao, on October 8 and 9 to seek a truce, as the volume of Chinese hybrids on EU roads prompts calls for voluntary export reductions or potential safeguards like quotas.