Chinese carmakers outsold Renault and Audi in Europe in August as plug-in hybrids surged, offering buyers cheaper and more flexible alternatives to full-electric cars.
Data from JATO Dynamicsย showed Chinese brands grabbed 5.5% of Europeโs market, selling over 43,500 vehicles, a 121% jump from last year. That beat Audiโs 41,300 and Renaultโs 37,800.
Plug-in hybrid sales in Europe rose 59% to almost 84,000 in August. Chinese brands made the biggest leap, with PHEV sales soaring more than 14-fold to 11,000. Among the top 10 sellers were BYDโs Seal U, Cheryโs Jaecoo J7, and SAICโs MG HS.
Battery-electric vehicles also grew 27% across Europe, outpacing the 5% growth of the wider market. Teslaโs Model Y remained the regionโs best-selling EV, but sales tumbled 37% compared with last year.
โThere 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,โ said Felipe Munoz, analyst at JATO Dynamics.
The surge highlights how Chinese brands are seizing ground in Europe despite EU tariffs on imports. BYD, Chery, and SAIC are already moving to local production to blunt the trade pressure. BYD has pledged to make all EVs for Europe locally by 2028.
For many buyers, plug-in hybrids, combining gasoline and electric powerโare an affordable middle ground, helping Chinese automakers carve a new path into Europeโs competitive car market.
Read more onย Ford to cut 1,000 Jobs in Cologne as Europeโs EV demand slows
