Chinese EVs Grab Biggest Market Share in Europe in Nine Months

(Bloomberg) -- Chinese automakers captured the biggest share of Europe’s electric-vehicle market in nine months, regaining ground lost after the European Union imposed tariffs last year.

Manufacturers led by by BYD Co. grabbed 8.9% of the region’s EV market in April, the most since July, according to researcher Dataforce. Chinese hybrid and combustion models also gained traction.

The latest figures underline the potent and evolving challenge Chinese manufacturers pose to European rivals. While EU duties that took effect in November initially halted Chinese EV gains, the past two months show renewed momentum. BYD, MG and others have also ramped up sales of more-conventionally powered models, adding to the pressure.

“The Chinese brands did successfully adapt to the new market surroundings,” said Julian Litzinger, a Dataforce analyst. A big upswing in Chinese hybrid sales “boosts their performance in Europe overall.”

Chinese brands accounted for 7.6% of hybrid car sales across Europe last month, Dataforce said, up from less than 1% a year earlier.

BYD has continued its rapid growth in EV sales, outpacing Tesla Inc. in Europe even as it adds more hybrids to its lineup. In China, the manufacturer has announced sweeping price cuts of as much as 34%, intensifying already fierce competition there.

In April in Europe, the company also sold more than double the number of EVs as MG, according to figures from automotive consultant Jato Dynamics. MG has firmly shifted its efforts to the hybrid market, said Felipe Munoz, an analyst at Jato.

The former British sports car brand, part of SAIC Motor Corp., was for years China’s top seller of EVs in Europe. Its state-owned parent was hit with EU tariffs on EVs that now surpass 45%.

Now the manufacturer is tapping into the growing demand in Europe for hybrids, Munoz said, singling out two popular models, the ZS crossover and the MG3 subcompact. Its EV sales have fallen even in the UK and Norway, where the EU tariffs don’t apply.

“The focus now is not merely on electric cars, but on other power trains,” he said.

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