PARIS: Chinese automakers accounted for more than 15% of electric-vehicle sales in Europe for the first time last month as consumer appetite for models from the country shows no sign of slowing.
Sales of fully electric cars from manufacturers including BYD Co and Chery Automobile Co more than doubled in April from a year earlier to 38,281, according to analysts at Dataforce.
Chinese brands are closing in on 10% of the European car market.
China's carmakers have been pushing hard into Europe, capturing cost-conscious buyers as domestic manufacturers struggled to offer affordable EVs and compete on technology.
Those international efforts have become more important due to a brutal price war back home that's hit profits.
Chinese brands have passed the 15% mark in Europe in a remarkably short space of time.
Back in 2021, they were selling only a few thousands EVs each month in the region.
As well as EVs, Chinese carmakers have continued their strong showing in plug-in hybrids, accounting for nearly 29% of those sales in April.
More Chinese companies have arrived in Europe in recent months, while some automakers have started selling sub-brands, such as BYD's upmarket Denza offering, a sign they're increasingly targeting wealthier buyers too.
To cement their standing in Europe and sidestep tariffs on EV imports, Chinese manufacturers are pushing to beef up their manufacturing in the region.
Some, like BYD, are building their own factories in the European Union, but they're also seeking to share or take on underutilised plants owned by European automakers.
Stellantis NV, the maker of Peugeot and Fiat cars, has been striking a series of deals with Chinese automakers such as Leapmotor and Dongfeng Motor Corp involving sharing factories.
It's also betting on US growth for its revival as it shrinks in Europe.
Other manufacturers are in talks about similar deals that will give Chinese brands an even stronger foothold in the region.
EU tariffs on Chinese-made EV imports have done little to slow their rise in the region.
Chinese automakers have been pushing EVs and plug-in hybrids that have proved popular with drivers for being more affordable and, in some cases, having better technology than more expensive European equivalents.
Brands including Chery's Jaecoo and Omoda have been particularly popular in the UK, where roughly one in every seven car purchases is a Chinese model, helped by the fact that there are no tariffs on imported EVs there.
The Jaecoo 7 sport utility vehicle was the UK's best-selling car in March, and has earned itself the nickname the "Temu Range Rover" for being a cheaper version of the British brand, in reference to the discount e-commerce platform.
British buyers are less loyal to brands than in other countries, according to Auto Trader Group Plc CEO Nathan Coe.
"You can get a really good new car, very often for £389 (RM2,071) a month," he said in an interview.
"And that proposition for a car that looks good, works well and has a good range is very appealing for people."
