Chinese-branded cars outsold Japanese rivals in Europe for the first time over a full quarter, with Chinese brands taking 12.7 percent of September registrations against 11.9 percent for Japanese makers, according to Dataforce.
Chinese automakers outsold Japanese rivals in Europe for the first time over a full quarter, a shift driven by brands such as BYD and Chery Automobile. The result marks a rapid change in a market where Japanese makers spent decades building their position.
Registrations of Chinese-branded cars roughly doubled from a year earlier in September, reaching 12.7 percent of total sales across the region, according to market researcher Dataforce. Japanese manufacturers including Toyota stood at 11.9 percent. Chinese brands held barely 1 percent of European sales five years ago.
Toyota has sold cars in Europe since 1963 and operates factories across the continent, while Nissan has produced vehicles at its Sunderland plant in Britain since 1986. Chinese brands have been especially successful in Britain, where Chery's Jaecoo 7 sport utility vehicle was the country's best-selling model in March and September. Earlier in October, Chery, BYD and Geely's Zeekr showed new models at the Paris car show, including the BYD Dolphin G DM-i plug-in hybrid developed for Europe.
The quarterly lead is reported on the basis of Dataforce registration figures, and the specific shares cited are for September: 12.7 percent for Chinese brands against 11.9 percent for Japanese makers. The European Union has already added extra tariffs on China-made battery-electric vehicles and this month agreed in principle to curb fast-growing imports of hybrid cars from China, while considering rules that would favour locally made cars for subsidies and company-car tax benefits.
The shift puts pressure on both European and Japanese manufacturers, as Chinese firms expand abroad while domestic demand in China weakens and buyers there move to local rivals. Chinese manufacturers are already preparing local production, with Chery preparing output in Barcelona, BYD nearing completion of a plant in Hungary, and Leapmotor building its B10 sport utility vehicle at Stellantis's plant in Zaragoza. How far the lead holds will depend on the next registration months and on the European rules now under consideration.