In recent weeks we have been trying to carry out a detailed analysis of the great landing of Chinese cars that is already taking place in Europe. We are no longer talking about a far-fetched hypothesis. PwC (PriceWaterhouseCoopers), one of the most recognized consulting firms in the world, states in one of its latest studies that in 2025 more than 800,000 cars made in China will be sold in Europe.
And pay close attention to these figures. Because the responsibility for these forecasts, which would lead Europe to import more cars than export them to China, It is not only attributable to the arrival of new Chinese brands, but also to the increasing volume of vehicles of Western brands that have established their factories in China..
The automobile industry in China has the batteries, the resources to produce huge volumes of electric cars, the growing experience to match the quality of its European rivals and, most importantly, to maintain a balance of costs with which ensure that these products are much more competitive than those manufactured in Europe.
PwC predicts that by 2025 more than 800,000 cars made in China will arrive in Europe
The BMW iX3 that can be bought in Europe is made in Dadong, China.The Chinese car, a threat to Europe?
The headline chosen by this server for this article is not biased. And in different articles and, above all, after our experience at the last Paris Motor Show, which marked the debut of a whole series of Chinese vehicles and brands, we have already analyzed how we should start to put an end to certain prejudices regarding the Chinese carin terms of quality, the attractiveness of their products, or even safety.
But the irruption of cars manufactured in China cannot be analyzed without taking into account that this, as happened in other economic sectors, will pose a threat to car factories in Europe and the ancillary industry that supports it and, of course, the workers that this industry supports.
Y The responsabilityas we told you, about the increasing presence of cars made in China in Europe and that in 2025 the 800,000 cars that PwC mentions in its report can be reached, it is also from local and western brands in general. So, the BMW iX3 that you can buy today at your BMW dealer is not made in Germany, but in Dadong, China. Neither is the Dacia Spring, which is produced in Hubei. The Polestar 2 is also produced in Luqiao. And the second best-selling plug-in hybrid in Spain, the Lynk&Co 01 – from a brand born and developed between Volvo and its parent company Geely – is also manufactured in Luqiao (Automotive News).
More and more cars are sold in Europe from European brands that, like the BMW iX3, are manufactured in China
Lynk&Co 01, one of the best-selling plug-in hybrids in Spain and produced in China.The unstoppable growth of the electric car in China
In 2020, half of the electric cars sold worldwide were sold in China. In the third quarter of 2022, China has taken over 73% of electric cars sold worldwide. China has not only become the largest producer of electric cars in the world, but also the largest consumer. The presence of factories of Western brands in China not only responds to the need to import competitive electric cars in Europe, but above all to satisfy the demand of the local market.
From the PwC analysis it can be concluded, in fact, that Of the 800,000 Chinese-made cars expected to arrive in Europe by 2025, 330,000 would be from Western brands..
PwC assures that this landing of Chinese brands has absolutely nothing to do with any previous attempt and that China now has a real competitive advantage. In fact, this PwC analysis suggests that, beyond Western brands manufacturing more and more cars in China, Chinese brands will reach a share of the electricity market between 3.8% and 7.9% in Europe. BYD, a leader in plug-in cars in China, expects to sell between 1.5 and 2 million electric and plug-in hybrid cars this year.
3 out of 4 electric cars sold worldwide are sold in China
MG ZS, the fourth best-selling car in October 2022 with a gasoline engine.Chinese cars are already here
Another report, to which he mentions Automotive News, points out that this year 200,000 Chinese-brand vehicles will be sold in Europe, of which 90,000 will be fully electric and 40,000 plug-in hybrids. According to the same report, Western brands that produce their cars in China will export 100,000 electric cars to Europe this year.
If we focus on the Spanish market, we find some no less surprising data. The Lynk&Co 01 is the second best-selling plug-in hybrid in Spain, practically tied with the first, the Peugeot 3008. In October, the MG ZS was the fourth best-selling car with a gasoline engine in Spain, only surpassed by best sellers like the Dacia Sandero, the Opel Corsa and the SEAT Arona.
