One in three plug-in hybrid cars sold in Europe is now Chinese

[BRUSSELS] Chinese car brands snapped up more than a third of new plug-in hybrid sales in Europe last month, as automakers from the country push those models ahead of any potential tariffs.

Manufacturers including BYD and Chery Automobile grabbed a record 34 per cent share of plug-in hybrid deliveries in June, according to data from analysts at Dataforce. The increase came as China’s share of fully electric cars and hybrids without a plug were roughly flat.

Chinese automakers are pushing sales of plug-in hybrids ahead of any potential additional EU tariffs on those types of vehicles, according to Dataforce analyst Julian Litzinger.

Currently, only fully electric vehicles made in China face steep tariffs, but hybrids with a plug may soon also be hit with duties, Germany’s Handelsblatt has reported. The EU has not said whether it plans to impose additional levies.

Chinese automakers are “betting that by the time duties are imposed, their market penetration and dealer integration will be too deep for the EU to dismantle without causing significant local economic disruption”, Litzinger said. The EU’s tariffs are an anti-subsidy measure aimed at protecting domestic industry.

While many European manufacturers in recent years focused on full electric vehicles (EVs) amid stricter emissions regulations, Chinese automakers have continued to push the boundaries of hybrid technology.

Many of their models have won over consumers in the region who may still be nervous about going fully electric amid patchy charging infrastructure and elevated sticker prices.

European carmakers such as Volkswagen are struggling to respond to the rise of Chinese automakers. As well as losing share in China to local brands offering the latest technology at affordable prices, they are also battling attract consumers with new models in their own backyard.

Those struggles are taking a toll on exports in countries such as Germany, which is suffering a multi-year slump in shipments of vehicles and parts to China. Vehicle exports fell by more than a quarter from a year earlier to 4.7 billion euros (US$5.4 billion), according to official data released this week.  

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The advance of Chinese brands has been particularly pronounced in the UK. There, Chery’s Jaecoo 7 sport-utility vehicle became the best-selling car in March, a little over a year after deliveries began. The model has earned itself the nickname the “Temu Range Rover” for being a cheaper version of the British brand, in a nod to the Chinese discount marketplace.

Chinese brands accounted for 11 per cent of new European car sales in June and 15 per cent for full EVs, Dataforce said. Almost one in four hybrids, including those without a plug, were Chinese last month.

The data for June doesn’t include Swedish sales given the summer recess there. BLOOMBERG