CHINESE automotive brands have captured a record 10.7 per cent share of the European new-car market, underlining the growing influence of Sino manufacturers as electrified vehicle demand continues to accelerate across the region. 

Preliminary figures from market analyst Dataforce show new-car registrations across the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK), and EFTA countries rose 3.4 per cent year-on-year in May, with battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales surging 39 per cent.

The market is now up 4.4 per cent year-to-date despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and higher fuel and energy costs stemming from disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

BYD Atto

Chinese manufacturers recorded 121,030 sales in May, almost doubling their volume from the same month in 2025 and eclipsing the previous market share record of 9.8 per cent set in April.

BYD overtook MG parent SAIC Motor to become Europe’s best-selling Chinese automotive brand, while Chery finished only several hundred sales behind SAIC. 

The results come as European consumers increasingly embrace electrified powertrains.

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) shows battery-electric vehicles accounted for 20 per cent of all new EU registrations in the first five months of 2026, up from 15.3 per cent a year earlier.

New EC Cars by Power Source, May 2026 Year-to-Date

A total of 950,521 new battery-electric vehicles were registered across the EU over the period, with Italy (+75.7 per cent), France (+55.4 per cent), and Germany (+40.9 per cent) posting particularly strong growth.

Hybrid-electric vehicles remained Europe’s most popular powertrain, accounting for 37.8 per cent of registrations with almost 1.8 million deliveries year-to-date.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales also continued their resurgence, rising 26 per cent year-to-date to represent 9.7 per cent of the EU market, up from 8.3 per cent in the same period last year. 

Tesla played a major role in the broader EV surge, almost doubling its sales volume in May following the introduction of lower-priced versions of the Model Y and Model 3 earlier this year 

The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle and the third best-selling passenger vehicle overall during the month, with sales increasing 68 per cent.

New EC Passenger Car Registrations

The Model 3 recorded an even stronger performance, with registrations soaring 198 per cent to become Europe’s second best-selling EV.

Among volume brands, Chinese manufacturers dominated the growth charts.

Leapmotor led the way with a 487 per cent increase in sales, followed by Chery (+243 per cent), BYD (+141 per cent), and Xpeng (+138 per cent).

Tesla Model Y

Outside the Chinese contingent, Tesla recorded a 99 per cent gain, while Geely Group, including Volvo, increased sales by 7.9 per cent. Honda (+7.1 per cent), Mazda (+6.8 per cent), and BMW Group (+4.3 per cent) also outperformed the broader market.At brand level, Chery and Geely’s recently launched European marques posted particularly strong results.

Chery sold 5289 vehicles in May, compared with just nine units in the same month last year, while Geely increased sales to 2378 vehicles from only 135 a year ago.

Mini also enjoyed a strong month, with sales rising 44 per cent, ahead of Subaru (+22 per cent), Fiat (+21 per cent) and Opel (+5.1 per cent).

Tesla Model 3

Not all manufacturers shared in the market’s growth, however.Mitsubishi suffered one of the steepest declines, with sales down 44 per cent, followed by Ford (-27 per cent), Nissan (-14 per cent) and Hyundai-Kia (-10.3 per cent).

Major automotive groups including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen Group, Stellantis, Toyota, and Renault also ended the month in negative territory.

Meanwhile, the transition away from internal combustion engines gathered further pace.

Chery Tiggo

Petrol vehicle registrations in the EU declined 18.2 per cent through May, reducing their market share from 28.5 per cent to 22.4 per cent year-on-year.

Diesel registrations fell 16.6 per cent, with the fuel type now accounting for just 7.6 per cent of the market, down from 9.5 per cent a year earlier.

The latest figures highlight the rapidly changing dynamics of the European automotive market, where Chinese manufacturers and electrified vehicles continue to gain momentum at the expense of traditional automotive players and internal combustion-powered vehicles.

Sales figures and tables supplied courtesy of the ACEA.