Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers are moving faster to build cars inside Europe as a way to sustain their surging sales. BYD's factory in Hungary has begun trial production, SAIC has confirmed a plant in Spain, and Geely is exploring a local joint venture — including a reported €221 million investment with Ford's Spanish operation. Leapmotor, using Stellantis' distribution network, is also expanding local assembly. With Chinese car exports reaching 5.096 million units in the first half of 2026, up 65.3% year on year, analysts expect local production to help the brands convert rapid volume growth into durable European operations.





