Chinese car brands surpass Japanese rivals in European sales for first quarter

In the latest quarter, Chinese carmakers achieved a historic milestone by securing 12.7% of all vehicle registrations across Europe, surpassing Japanese manufacturers who held 11.9%, according to market researcher Dataforce. The growth was driven primarily by hybrid models from BYD, Chery Automobile and other Chinese brands, whose sales roughly doubled compared with the previous year. Chery’s Jaecoo 7 SUV became the best-selling model in the United Kingdom during both March and September, highlighting the brands’ strong performance in that market.

European incumbents such as Volkswagen AG and Renault SA continue to dominate overall, but the rapid expansion of Chinese offerings is pressuring them, especially as demand in China eases. The EU is responding with additional tariffs on Chinese battery-electric vehicles and proposals to link subsidies to European production, while Chinese firms are already preparing local factories in Barcelona, Hungary and through joint ventures like Leapmotor’s B10 built at Stellantis’ Zaragoza plant.