Sales of electric vehicles from Chinese brands in Europe reached a record level: in the first five months of 2026, they accounted for 14.2% of new EV sales in Western European countries, or roughly one in seven electric vehicles, The Guardian cited data from Schmidt Automotive Research as saying.

From January to May, Chinese manufacturers sold about 171,800 electric vehicles across the 18 largest markets in Western Europe, increasing their share by nearly five percentage points compared with the same period last year.

BYD, Chery, SAIC, and Xpeng are actively expanding their presence in the European market. Sales growth is taking place despite additional tariffs imposed by the European Union on electric vehicles from a number of Chinese manufacturers — up to 35.3% on top of the standard 10% import duty.

The United Kingdom became the largest European market for Chinese electric vehicles, as it did not introduce additional levies following the EU’s lead. It accounted for about a quarter of Chinese EV sales across the 18 main markets of Western Europe.

Italy accounted for roughly a fifth of sales. However, analysts describe this result as an exception: the Chinese company Leapmotor delivered thousands of low-cost T03 electric vehicles to the country, which at one point could be purchased for about €5,000 thanks to government subsidies.

Chinese automakers also significantly expanded their lineup: this year, more than 120 of their models were offered on the European market, compared with about 100 models from European brands.

At the same time, Schmidt Automotive Research founder Matthias Schmidt believes that the market share of Chinese manufacturers in the battery-electric vehicle segment may have already peaked. In his view, companies will more actively promote plug-in hybrids, since they are not yet subject to the EU’s additional tariffs.

Meanwhile, Europe is discussing a possible expansion of tariff measures to hybrid vehicles. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume previously said that European manufacturers cannot compete with Chinese companies in this segment.

Tesla sales in the European market also recovered: they rose 60% year on year. This was driven by stronger demand for more affordable versions of the Model 3 and Model Y. At the same time, the Model Y became the best-selling individual car model in Europe in the first five months of the year.