Chinese EV brands cross 15% share in Europe

Chinese automakers hit a new high-water mark in Europe in April, but the headline depends on what is being measured. Automotive News reported on May 22 that Chinese brands doubled their overall European sales to 112,992 vehicles in April, taking a record 10% share of the total car market. The 15% figure circulating in some summaries appears to refer to a narrower electric-vehicle slice rather than the whole market. JATO Dynamics said Chinese-made battery electric cars reached almost 15,300 registrations in Europe in April 2025, up 59% from a year earlier, while Chinese brands also lifted plug-in hybrid volumes by 546% and took almost 10% of Europe’s PHEV market. (autonews.com) The thread running through both sets of numbers is the same: BYD and Chery are growing fast, and Chinese brands are broadening beyond pure battery EVs as Europe’s tariff regime reshapes the market. Automotive News said SAIC’s MG, BYD and Chery accounted for three-quarters of Chinese-brand sales in April. ### Which number matters more: 10% or 15%? The 10% figure is the cleaner market-share number for all new vehicles sold by Chinese brands in Europe in April 2026. (jato.com) Automotive News tied that record directly to 112,992 sales across the region. The 15% figure is best treated carefully unless the original dataset is shown. JATO’s published Europe data for April 2025 used “almost 15,300 units” for Chinese-made BEVs, not a 15% overall market share, while One News Page’s summary appears to describe a 15%-plus share within a narrower EV segment. (autonews.com) ### Why are BYD and Chery gaining ground now? (autonews.com) March already showed the pattern. Automotive News reported that Chinese automakers sold a record 149,094 vehicles in Europe that month, up 97% year on year, with strong demand from Chery and BYD narrowing the gap with MG. Autovista24 said BYD was Europe’s fourth best-selling EV brand in the first quarter of 2026, with volumes up 154.7% to 73,535 units and a 6.8% share of overall EV sales. (jato.com) That made BYD one of the clearest examples of a non-European brand breaking into the region’s top tier. ### How are tariffs changing the mix? The European Union’s tariffs on China-made battery EVs have not stopped Chinese brands from expanding, but they have changed the product mix. (autonews.com) JATO said carmakers responded by diversifying into plug-in hybrids, which were not covered by those tariffs in the April 2025 data it published. Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at JATO Dynamics, said Chinese automakers were focusing on “other powertrains, such as plug-in hybrids,” to maintain momentum in Europe. (autovista24.autovistagroup.com) In April 2025, JATO said Chinese-brand PHEV volumes rose to 9,649 units from 1,493 a year earlier. ### Why is Britain showing up so often in this story? Great Britain has become one of the more receptive markets for Chinese brands because EV adoption is rising and the market structure differs from the EU. (jato.com) JATO’s market analysis says Britain’s push toward electrification has created new opportunities for Chinese automakers. UK registration trackers also show BYD becoming a visible brand in the market. (jato.com) EU-EVs data listed BYD among the leading EV brands in Britain year to date, while the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders continues to publish monthly UK registration updates. ### What should readers watch next? ACEA said battery-electric vehicles made up 19.4% of EU new-car registrations in the first quarter of 2026, up from 15.2% a year earlier. (jato.com) That broader rise in EV demand gives Chinese brands a larger pool to compete for even as tariffs remain in place. The next useful check will be fresh monthly registration releases from ACEA, JATO, national industry groups and private trackers such as EU-EVs, which will show whether BYD, Chery and MG can hold April’s pace into May and June. (eu-evs.com) (acea.auto)