It’s a record share that summarizes a year of rapid growth driven by strong sales of hybrids and battery-powered cars, Bloomberg writes.
With a 9.5% share of the European car market in December, Chinese brands overtook South Korean rivals, particularly Kia, for the first time in a quarter, according to data from research firm Dataforce. BYD and other Chinese manufacturers are poised to further strengthen their positions as trade barriers weaken and China’s export offensive accelerates.
The most notable growth has been recorded in the electric vehicle segment, which accounts for the bulk of European market growth. Chinese companies have used their competitive advantage in battery technology to woo buyers of electric cars and hybrids, from Spain and Greece to Italy and Britain.
“We were stunned by the rapid spread of Chinese cars in Southern Europe,” said Dataforce analyst Julian Litzinger. – “We knew that consumers in these countries are more flexible in their brand choices, but we didn’t envision this for electric vehicles.
Chinese brands accounted for 16% of the European electrified car market in December and 11% by the end of all of 2025, according to an analysis of Bloomberg data. That’s more than double what it was in 2024. Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology and Chery Automobile showed significant sales volumes, joining established players BYD and SAIC Motor, maker of MG.
Mainland China’s influence is even more pronounced when you count cars imported into Europe by non-Chinese brands – such as Tesla, Volkswagen, BMW and Renault. When this calculation is made, almost one in seven electrified cars sold in Europe in 2025 was made in China.
The strengthening Chinese position vividly highlights the serious challenges for the European auto industry, a basic industry that provides more than 13 million jobs and is a pillar of economic stability. European brands, squeezed by duties in the US and the loss of market share in China, are facing increasingly fierce competition at home – in the battle over who will produce the cars of the future.
“The promotion of Chinese cars in Europe is colossal,” said Roberto Vavassori, a top executive at Brembo NV and head of the Italian industry association Anfia. Without urgent action, he said, the industry will not be able to compensate for the more than 110,000 jobs lost in Europe over the past 18 months. “It’s a question of the survival of our industry.”
There are no signs of a slowdown. Chinese automakers, which face overproduction at home and a virtually closed U.S. market, have redoubled efforts to expand in Europe. BYD said Jan. 24 that it plans to increase shipments to markets outside China by nearly 25 percent this year.
