As of: March 27, 2024, 4:48 p.m
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Charging spots for electric cars are color-coded: one in four electric cars in Europe comes from China - and the trend is rising.
© Julian Stratenschulte / dpa
One in four electric cars sold in Europe now comes from China.
Most of them are still imported from Western brands, but Chinese brands are also becoming increasingly well known.
Berlin - According to a study, one in four electric cars sold in Europe this year comes from China.
Their share will therefore increase in 2024.
In 2023, almost one in five electrically powered vehicles would have been imported from China, the environmental lobby organization Transport & Environment said in a study on Wednesday.
Western car manufacturers account for the majority of imports: Tesla, Dacia and BMW are the most important importers of vehicles produced in China.
Tesla is building the Model 3 in its factory in Shanghai, Dacia is producing the small electric car Spring in the People's Republic, BMW is introducing the electric version of the X3 from China and wants to import the electric Mini from the People's Republic.
Chinese manufacturers still play a minor role, but their share is likely to rise sharply.
T&E predicts that Chinese companies will have a market share of eleven percent for electric cars in Europe this year, and this could rise to 20 percent by 2027.
EU is considering punitive tariffs on Chinese electric cars
The European Union is currently considering punitive tariffs on Chinese cars to support the domestic industry.
If import fees rise to 25 percent, this will make Chinese mid-range cars more expensive than their European counterparts, the T&E experts wrote.
Smaller SUVs and larger vehicles from China, on the other hand, are likely to remain cheaper.
“Tariffs will force carmakers to build electric cars in Europe, and that’s good because we want those jobs and skills,” said T&E expert Julia Poliscanova.
“But tariffs will not protect European car manufacturers for long.
Chinese carmakers will build factories in Europe, and when that happens, our auto industry must be ready.”
(Reuters, lf)