Public data shows that in the first nine months of 2026, China's automobile exports to the EU reached 1.83 million units, already far exceeding the full-year total of last year. In September alone, monthly and cumulative year-on-year figures surged 128% and 87% respectively. China's auto exports to the EU display overall characteristics of scale leap and extreme structural differentiation, and the global rise of China's auto industry is becoming increasingly evident.
China's auto export momentum to the EU is shifting rapidly. In 2026, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) became the strongest engine, with exports soaring 372%. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs), despite heavy pressure from high tariffs, still achieved nearly twofold growth. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) served as a stable line of defense with a 91% surge. The Matthew effect among automakers is pronounced: BYD Company Limited (002594) leads by a landslide, while Geely Auto (00175), Chery, Leapmotor and others are racing at high speed. Chinese mainstream automakers have performed exceptionally well in the European market, proving their strength in both domestic and international markets with robust growth.
Overall Trend of Chinese Automakers' Exports to the EU
According to public data, Chinese automakers' overall exports to the EU show explosive growth. The export volume in 2026 far exceeds previous years, averaging over 200,000 units per month in the first nine months, with September surging to 279,000 units, a record high. Despite facing the EU's hefty anti-subsidy tariff barriers, Chinese automobiles, backed by strong supply chain advantages and product competitiveness, have not been contained but instead achieved a strong counter-trend breakthrough.
In 2026, China's auto exports to the EU show explosive, non-linear leapfrog growth. Cumulative exports from January to September reached 1.83 million units, up 87% year-on-year, far exceeding the full-year total of 1.38 million units in 2025. In particular, September alone saw exports of 279,000 units, surging 128% year-on-year and jumping 29% month-on-month, setting a historic high.
Passenger Vehicle Export Destinations Within the EU
Based on our passenger vehicle export destination statistics, for the few manufacturers that did not report data, we substituted with retail sales statistics from within the EU. Overall, China's passenger vehicle exports to the EU in 2026 show explosive leapfrog growth. Exports in the first nine months far exceeded the same periods in 2024 and 2025, with September alone approaching 300,000 units to set a historic high. China's passenger vehicle export momentum is unstoppable.
In 2026, China's passenger vehicle exports to the EU show explosive growth with both volume and price rising. From January to September, customs data recorded total exports of 1.785 million units, already far exceeding the full-year total of 1.315 million units in 2025. September alone reached 274,000 units, surging nearly 1.5 times year-on-year. Our aggregated multi-source public data is gradually approaching customs data. Our 2026 passenger vehicle export share as a percentage of total customs passenger vehicle exports reached 94%-106%, essentially reflecting the industry situation. At the same time, our multi-source data and customs data trends are gradually converging, indicating that Chinese automakers' overseas destination statistics are becoming increasingly accurate. Due to the rise of Chinese automakers in the EU, previously unsegmented overseas data has been effectively tracked, and earlier statistical discrepancies have been largely eliminated.
Passenger Vehicle Export Analysis of Major Automakers
Based on our multi-source data aggregation, Chinese automakers' exports to the EU in 2026 show a pattern of top-tier explosion and tiered differentiation. Top-tier automakers lead by an absolute margin: BYD Company Limited (002594) reached 675,000 units in 2026 exports, surging 295% year-on-year, firmly holding first place; Chery followed with 270,000 units (+214%); SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle still had 268,000 units but its growth slowed to 20%, most noticeably affected by tariffs.
New forces and dark horses racing ahead: Geely Auto (00175) achieved growth of 991%, leading all mainstream automakers; Leapmotor (+427%) and XPeng (+172%) performed impressively. GAC Aion (+1018%) and GAC Trumpchi (+1045%) also showed explosive catch-up momentum.
BEV Exports to the EU
Based on multi-source data on battery electric passenger vehicle exports to the EU, Chinese automakers in 2026 present a fiercely competitive landscape of "top-tier leading by a landslide, second tier undergoing frenzied reshuffling, and tail end accelerating elimination." 1. Top-tier landscape: BYD Company Limited (002594) holds an absolutely dominant lead. BYD's 2026 BEV exports reached 267,000 units (+185%), 4.5 times that of second-place Tesla (59,000 units). Geely Auto (00175) performed exceptionally well, with BEV exports reaching 44,000 units, growing at 438%, jumping to third place, demonstrating extremely strong BEV product momentum. 2. Tier differentiation: SAIC under pressure, Leapmotor rising. SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle's BEV exports were 61,000 units, growing only 53%, clearly hit by the EU's highest tariff and lacking growth momentum. Meanwhile, Leapmotor (+444%) and XPeng (+172%), as representatives of new forces, both broke through 30,000 units in BEV exports, successfully establishing a foothold in the EU market. GAC Aion even experienced explosive growth of 993%.
PHEV Exports to the EU
Based on multi-source data on plug-in hybrid (including extended-range) exports to the EU, this segment in 2026 shows explosive leapfrog growth and an extreme "winner-takes-all" characteristic. Total volume soaring, PHEVs becoming the absolute main force for breakthrough. In 2026, total PHEV exports to the EU reached 654,000 units, surging 372% year-on-year. This confirms that under the EU's high BEV tariff barriers, PHEVs have become the core "safe harbor" for Chinese automakers to maintain European incremental growth.
The top-tier landscape shows BYD Company Limited (002594) dominating. BYD (406,000 units, +426%), leveraging its powerful PHEV technology matrix, achieved a landslide lead in the EU; Chery, relying on deep overseas channel cultivation, firmly held second place. Differentiation between new forces and traditional automakers. Geely Auto (00175) (82,000 units) performed steadily with models such as Lynk & Co. Leapmotor (+310%), as a representative of new forces, rapidly scaled up. However, SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle (+38%) clearly underperformed in this segment, showing traditional automakers' product misalignment in PHEV overseas expansion.
HEV Exports to the EU
Based on HEV export data to the EU and local data aggregation, HEV exports to the EU in 2026 show a pattern of steady total expansion, SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle dominating alone, and Chery rising abruptly. In 2026, total HEV exports to the EU reached 184,000 units, up 91% year-on-year. Against the backdrop of BEVs suppressed by heavy tariffs and PHEVs facing risk of tariff expansion, HEVs, with their "no charging needed, extremely low fuel consumption" characteristics, have become an important supplementary force for Chinese automakers to stabilize their European fuel vehicle base. SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle occupied an absolutely dominant position with 131,000 units, but its growth rate was relatively moderate (+42%). This indicates the MG brand's deep foundation in Europe's fuel vehicle/hybrid vehicle market, with its HEV product line serving as a stable defense against tariff impacts. Japanese joint ventures following suit. Dongfeng Honda, GAC Honda and other joint venture brands are also exporting HEV models to Europe through domestic bases, leveraging their technological accumulation in hybrids to secure a share of the market.
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