Europe’s plug-in hybrid boom helps Chinese carmakers outsell Renault, Audi in August
Chinese automakers outperformed European brands Renault and Audi in August, driven by strong demand for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), according to data from JATO Dynamics. Models from BYD, Jaecoo, and MG ranked among Europe’s top-ten PHEV sellers.
While Tesla’s Model Y remained the continent’s most popular battery-electric vehicle (BEV), its sales fell 37% compared with August 2024, despite overall growth in BEV demand, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Chinese carmakers have boosted exports of PHEVs and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to Europe and plan to produce more models locally. This strategy helps mitigate the impact of EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs. PHEVs, which combine gasoline and electricity, are increasingly seen as an affordable compromise between traditional combustion and fully electric cars.
In August, Chinese automakers captured a 5.5% market share in Europe, selling over 43,500 vehicles, a 121% increase from the previous year. This exceeded Audi’s 41,300 and Renault’s 37,800 sales. PHEV sales across 28 European countries rose 59% to nearly 84,000 units, with Chinese PHEVs jumping 14-fold to 11,000. Top-selling Chinese PHEVs included BYD Seal U, Chery Jaecoo J7, and SAIC MG HS. BEV sales in Europe rose 27%, outpacing the overall market growth of 5%.
“There was strong demand for BEVs in August; however, a 27% increase is less significant than it looks when you consider how widely they are being promoted,” said JATO Dynamics analyst Felipe Munoz.
BYD recently announced plans to produce all EVs for the European market locally by 2028, building on its late-2024 move to start selling PHEVs in the region.
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