China exported 1.83 million vehicles to the European Union in the first nine months of 2026, far surpassing the full-year total of last year, according to Cui Dongshu, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association.
Both September alone and the nine-month cumulative rose 128% and 87% year on year respectively, underscoring the scale leap and sharp structural divergence of China's EU auto exports. Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) were the strongest engine, up 372%; battery electric vehicles (BEV) nearly doubled despite high tariffs; and conventional hybrids (HEV) grew a steady 91%.
Cui noted a pronounced 'Matthew effect': BYD leads by a wide margin, while Geely, Chery and Leapmotor are racing ahead, demonstrating the competitive strength of China's mainstream automakers in the European market.
Source: Cailian Press (Nov 1-2, 2026)
