China's New Energy Vehicles Counterattack European Market: BYD First, Leapmotor Soars Over Hundredfold

On October 14, according to "Mirror Pro," Chinese electric vehicles have become the biggest highlight in Europe in the first three quarters.

According to statistics from European media, in the third quarter of this year, the sales of electric vehicles in the core 14 countries of Europe (including the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, Austria, Portugal, and France) reached 477,749 units, an increase of 10.67% year-on-year, but a decrease of 2.49% compared to the previous quarter.

In the first three quarters of this year, electric vehicle sales in 14 European countries totaled 1,407,505 units, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.44%. Among them, Chinese brands sold 124,140 units in these 14 European countries during the same period, achieving a year-on-year growth of nearly 40%. This growth rate significantly surpasses the overall market growth rate, and their market share has also increased to 8.82%.

Including the brands Volvo, Lotus, and Polestar, the sales of Chinese electric car brands in Europe for the first three quarters of this year amounted to 212,563 units, with a market share exceeding 15%.

In terms of brands, BYD has maintained its leading position in the European market, similar to its status in the domestic industry. In the first three quarters of this year, it achieved cumulative sales of 55,696 units, marking a year-on-year growth of 138.11%. Additionally, the first three quarters also showed a trend of quarter-on-quarter increase.

SAIC MG has been significantly affected by tariffs, with a cumulative sales volume of 32,477 units in the first three quarters, a year-on-year decline of 38.13%. It is also one of the few brands on the list to experience a decrease.

Leapmotor's sales have also grown rapidly, with quarterly sales surpassing those of brands like XPeng to rank third, becoming the biggest dark horse among Chinese brands exporting to Europe this year.

Under the channel empowerment of the Stellantis Group, Leapmotor's sales in Europe for the third quarter were 4,894 units, a year-on-year increase of 11,835.59% and a quarter-on-quarter growth of 53.13%, rising to the 24th position.

Xpeng's sales in the third quarter were 3,115 units, a year-on-year increase of 59.17%, but a quarter-on-quarter decrease of 11.81%, ranking 27th. The main sales models for Xpeng remain the G6 and G9, with third-quarter sales of 2,070 units and 698 units, respectively.

With the aggressive push of Chinese brand new energy vehicles, competition in the European electric vehicle market has intensified. This has led to varying degrees of decline in sales and market share for brands such as Volkswagen, Tesla, and BMW. As for Tesla, it has already lost its title as the top seller of electric vehicles in Europe.