South Korean media: The share of Chinese electric vehicles in Europe is surging!
On March 20, the South Korean media "Today's Finance" published an article stating that when looking at the cars coming and going on the streets of Europe, there is a strange feeling. Places once dominated by European local cars are now being taken over by Chinese automakers such as BYD and SAIC. Just two or three years ago, Chinese cars were not considered a viable option in Europe. Data from the European Transport and Environment Federation shows that in 2019, Chinese brands accounted for only 0.5% of the European electric vehicle market. In 2024, this number jumped to 10%. In 2025, new car registrations in some countries even reached 20% for Chinese cars.
In February of this year, BYD's first passenger car factory in Europe began trial operations in the southern Hungarian city of Szeged. A few months later, Chinese electric vehicles labeled with "EU Made" will flood the market. As European products, they will be tariff-free and enjoy the same level of subsidies. In addition, the world-leading battery company CATL has already established a branch in Hungary. Chinese startup company Leap Motor is using Stellantis' dealer network to expand its business in the European market. A complete system has been established that can utilize Europe's infrastructure to produce Chinese cars in Europe.
What about North America? Despite the United States' confidence in its tariff barriers, China has knocked on Canada's door. In January of this year, the Canadian government significantly reduced the tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 6.1%. Vancouver and Toronto are expected to become the "headquarters" for Chinese cars flooding into North America. It's just a matter of time before Chinese cars enter the U.S. bordering Canada. Canada's shift in attitude has fundamentally undermined the position of Hyundai and Kia competing against Tesla in North America.
The true strength of Chinese electric vehicles lies not in their low prices, but in their speed and scale of development. Xiaomi, a company initially known for manufacturing smartphones, achieved profitability within one and a half years of entering the automotive industry. Xiaomi achieved what Tesla took ten years to accomplish in just 18 months. They make cars like making smartphones. The Xiaomi SU7 electric vehicle can seamlessly integrate with home appliances, displaying all smartphone applications on the car's screen as soon as you sit inside. Weekly OTA software updates keep the vehicle in optimal condition. While global automakers are still focusing on hardware performance, the rules of the game have shifted to competition in the software ecosystem.
How about Huawei's autonomous driving solutions? Their AI, trained on massive Chinese road data, has caught up with Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. Chinese cars are rapidly becoming pioneers in the application of the latest technology.
So, what is the current situation of South Korea's automotive industry? To be honest, it is in a precarious position. Its high-end strategy struggles to beat Tesla, and it lacks the ability to compete with China in price. The global electric vehicle sales ranking for 2025 is dismal. BYD ranked first with approximately 4.12 million sales, Geely Auto followed closely with about 2.22 million sales. Tesla ranked third with approximately 1.63 million sales, and Hyundai Motor Group ranked eighth with about 610,000 sales.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1860142521556104/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.