Chinese Automakers Increase Presence in Europe
Market Dynamics
New car registrations in Europe in June 2025 fell by 4.4%, and by 0.3% for the first six months. However, the most impressive are the indicators of Chinese brands, which show rapid growth. Over the half-year, their sales grew by 91%, reaching 347,100 cars, which is 5.1% of the European market. This is more than Ford (3.8%) and almost equal to the Mercedes indicator (5.2%).
BYD became the leader among Chinese manufacturers: sales of its electric vehicles increased by 143% in the first half of the year, reaching 41,300 cars. This allowed the company to take 12th place among the most popular electric brands, overtaking Cupra and Ford. In addition to electric vehicles, the success of the Chinese was helped by hybrid models, such as BYD, Jaecoo and Omoda, which competed with the Volkswagen Tiguan for the title of the most popular PHEV in Europe.
Other Market Trends
Among other winners of the first half of the year are Volkswagen Group (+3%), Renault (+6%), BMW (+4%) and Ford (+6%). However, not all brands were lucky: Tesla recorded a 33% drop in sales, and Stellantis – a 9% drop.
The Dacia Sandero remains the most popular car in Europe with 128,800 registrations, despite an 11% drop. Its closest competitor, the Renault Clio, increased sales by 7%. Third place was taken by the Peugeot 2008, followed by the Volkswagen T-Roc, Golf and Tiguan.
The Tesla Model Y, which was previously the sales leader, fell out of the top 10, reducing volume by 33%. However, overall electric vehicle sales in Europe increased by 25%, reaching a record 1.2 million cars in half a year.
Interestingly, Chinese brands are not only increasing their presence but also shaping new trends, forcing European manufacturers to adapt to changes. Their success is especially noticeable in the segment of affordable electric vehicles and hybrids, where traditional auto giants previously dominated unquestionably.