BEIJING: Chinese passenger car brands have captured a larger share of Europe’s monthly new-car market than their Japanese counterparts for the first time in May, marking a milestone for China’s automakers in the region, showed latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Five major Chinese automakers – BYD, SAIC Motor, Geely, Chery and Leapmotor – sold a combined 138,410 vehicles across 31 European countries in May, up 65% year-on-year.
By comparison, six major Japanese automakers – Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi Motors – sold 130,424 vehicles, down 3% from a year earlier.
Japanese newspaper Nikkei said Chinese automakers have continued to expand their footprint in Europe despite higher European Union tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, supported by competitive pricing, rapid advances in electric vehicle technology and deeper localisation.
The latest milestone is not an isolated case. Just a month earlier, Chinese passenger vehicles surpassed Japanese brands in monthly sales in South Korea’s imported car market for the first time.
Driven solely by BYD, sales of Chinese-made vehicles exceeded the combined total of Lexus, Toyota and Honda vehicles. —China Daily/ANN
