Chinese car manufacturers in Europe sold more vehicles in August than Renault and Audi, primarily due to a strong increase in plug-in hybrid sales, according to data from JATO Dynamics.
In August, Chinese manufacturers sold over 43,500 vehicles to European customers, marking a 121 percent year-on-year increase. Audi sold 41,300 vehicles to Europeans in August, while Renault sold 37,800.
Sales of plug-in hybrids surged in August across the 28 EU member states by 59 percent, reaching nearly 84,000 vehicles. About 13 percent of these vehicles, or 11,000, were Chinese models. Chinese companies thus increased their sales by as much as 14 times year-on-year, calculated analysts at JATO Dynamics.
Sales of battery electric vehicles in Europe also jumped by 27 percent, surpassing the overall market growth of five percent.
– Demand for battery electric vehicles was strong in August, but the 27 percent growth is less significant than it appears at first glance when considering how strongly these vehicles are promoted – stated JATO Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz.
Market Share Growth
The most popular battery electric vehicle model in Europe in August was Tesla’s Model Y, although its sales, even in the context of strong overall growth in battery vehicle sales, fell by 37 percent compared to the same month last year.
The market share of Chinese manufacturers, including BYD and Chery, in the European Union was 5.5 percent, the highest since data tracking began, despite high tariffs on the import of Chinese cars into the EU.
