Europe's electric-vehicle market rebounded strongly in August, with Tesla's Model Y reclaiming the top spot among battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) after a weak July, according to market researcher Dataforce. The rebound comes as Chinese brands extend their dominance in the region's plug-in hybrid (PHEV) segment.
Dataforce data cited by Chinese outlet D1EV show European BEV registrations jumped 52% year on year in August to 245,120 units. The Model Y, which had slipped to 11th place among BEVs in July, surged back to first place with 10,281 registrations, up 20% from a year earlier. The Skoda Elroq, July's BEV leader, followed in second.
Chinese brands lead PHEV rankings
In Europe's PHEV market, Chinese brands took five of the top ten spots in August, including four of the top five. BYD's Seal U led with 7,236 sales (up 86%), followed by the BYD Atto 2 with 4,433. The Volkswagen Tiguan was the only non-Chinese model in the top five, with 3,609 sales (down 19%). Jaecoo 7 (3,227, up 26%) and Geely's Starray (2,482) completed the top five, while BYD's Sealion 5 ranked ninth with 2,175.
Meanwhile, GAC Group plans to add vehicle production capacity in Europe to support its planned large-scale model launches in core markets such as France, according to Cedric Lacour, deputy CEO of GAC France, as reported by D1EV. The Chinese automaker currently relies on contract manufacturer Magna to supply European markets. GAC's European operations have expanded to Finland, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK.
In a separate development, the UK's automotive trade body SMMT warned that a proposed EU 'Made in Europe' clause would exclude UK-built vehicles from incentives such as corporate green-fleet support and CO2 credit schemes, and from EU public procurement lists, putting British carmakers at a competitive disadvantage.
Policy and market shifts
Canada's quota system restricts imports of Chinese-made EVs, but Chinese components still flow into many models assembled in North America and elsewhere, including the Chevrolet Bolt and Toyota bZ, according to D1EV. Some of these vehicles contain Chinese parts worth up to half their total value, and remain eligible for Canada's federal EV rebate of up to C$5,000 (about $3,700) as long as the vehicle's price stays below C$50,000 (about $37,000).
In the US, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill allowing the immediate sale of E15, a gasoline blend with 15% ethanol, in an effort to curb high fuel prices. The state had been the only one in the US to ban the fuel.
Porsche CEO Michael Leiters told employees in an internal memo that the brand has no plans for an additional 4,000 job cuts, following a German press report that Volkswagen's supervisory board saw potential for further reductions on top of an already agreed 9,000. The reassurance came as German autoworkers staged nationwide protests over restructuring plans, plant closures and job losses.
