Chinese car brands are regaining their momentum in Europe. After a brief sluggish start to the year, Chinese automakers' market share in the European market rebounded sharply in February, nearly doubling from a year ago. Meanwhile, the situation in the Middle East has driven oil prices to surge, further accelerating the shift of European consumers toward electric and hybrid models, providing an additional boost for Chinese brands.
On Friday, according to Bloomberg citing data from research firm Dataforce, Chinese brands, represented by BYD and LEAPMOTOR, saw their overall share in the European passenger car market rise to 8% in February, nearly doubling from 4.2% in the same period last year.
In the pure electric vehicle segment, the share of Chinese brands rose by two percentage points from January to 14%; in the hybrid vehicle segment, the share also rose by one percentage point month-on-month to 16%.
Meanwhile, the overseas expansion of Chinese automakers is not limited to Europe. BYD's sales in six major Southeast Asian markets in 2025 grew by approximately 95% year-on-year, and the company is engaged in intense competition with Vietnamese automaker VinFast to jointly reshape the region's electric vehicle landscape.
<h2>European Share Nearly Doubles, Chinese Brands Back on Growth Track</h2>
Dataforce data shows that Chinese brands accounted for a combined 8% of the passenger car market in the EU, member states of the European Free Trade Association, and the UK, compared to just 4.2% in the same period last year.
This growth builds upon a record performance in 2025. Models such as Chery's Omoda 5 and Jaecoo 7 are seeing continued increases in visibility across Europe. Chinese brands are attracting value-conscious consumers by expanding their dealer networks and offering significant discounts.
Julian Litzinger, an analyst at Dataforce, stated, &#34;Chinese brands are offering attractive products in several segments where there were previously market gaps,&#34; and noted that the hybrid vehicle category particularly possesses potential for further growth.
To circumvent tariff barriers and further reduce costs, Chinese automakers are accelerating their localized production layouts in Europe. Chery has already started vehicle assembly in Barcelona, Spain, while BYD is accelerating the construction of its factory in Hungary.
<h2>Southeast Asian Battlefield: BYD and VinFast Compete for Emerging Markets</h2>
Beyond Europe, Southeast Asia is becoming another important overseas growth pole for Chinese automakers.
In 2025, BYD's sales in six major Southeast Asian markets grew by approximately 95% year-on-year, with annual deliveries of about 70,000 units. Vietnamese automaker VinFast saw a sales increase of about 90%, selling over 100,000 units in total across markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Together, the two companies account for about 7% of the region's total sales of approximately 2.4 million vehicles, and their rapid rise has posed a significant impact on the market share of Japanese brands such as Toyota, Honda, and Mitsubishi.
Strategically, BYD relies on its advantages in plug-in hybrid technology and cooperation with ride-hailing platforms like Grab to effectively alleviate consumer concerns about insufficient charging infrastructure. VinFast, on the other hand, focuses on a low-price strategy and actively invests in charging networks and local manufacturing. BYD has established a production base in Thailand and is advancing new production capacity layouts in Indonesia and Cambodia.
In terms of financial strength, there is a clear divergence between the two companies. BYD remains profitable with ample cash reserves, while VinFast is still in a state of loss due to large-scale expansion, relying on capital support from its parent company to sustain its globalization strategy.
<h2>Soaring Oil Prices Benefit Chinese EVs</h2>
The Middle East conflict has led to a sharp rise in oil prices, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has intensified market concerns over energy supply. Bernstein analysts believe this situation could bring additional market momentum to Chinese brands by accelerating the popularization of electric vehicles and boosting demand for hybrids.
&#34;Among Chinese automakers, we believe BYD will benefit from higher profit margins brought by overseas electric vehicle sales, and its affordable electric vehicle product line possesses a clear competitive advantage,&#34; wrote the Bernstein analyst team led by Eunice Lee in a research report.

002594

515030

09863

BYDDF

BYDDY

159323

01211

CARZ

516380

Chinese automakers are launching a new round of offensives in the global market. In February, their market share in Europe nearly doubled year-on-year to 8%, led by BYD and LEAPMOTOR. In the Southeast Asian market, BYD's sales grew by 95% last year. The surge in oil prices in the Middle East has become an unexpected boost, accelerating consumers' adoption of electric and hybrid models

- Chinese automotive brands are reclaiming market share in Europe, with their overall share reaching 8% in February, nearly doubling from 4.2% a year prior.  
- This growth is propelled by rising oil prices due to Middle Eastern tensions, prompting a shift toward electric and hybrid vehicles among European consumers.  
- Concurrently, Chinese firms like BYD are expanding in Southeast Asia, achieving significant sales growth while challenging established Japanese brands.

Wallstreetcn

Hua Xia CSI New Energy Vehicles ETF

LEAPMOTOR

BYD Company Limited

BYD Company

ChinaAMC CSI Hong Kong Connect Automobile Industry Thematic ETF

BYD COMPANY

First Trust S-Network Future Vehicles & Tech ETF

Hwabao WP CSI Intelligent Electric Vehicle ETF

High Oil Prices, Booming EVs! Chinese Automakers' Sales in Europe Return to Growth