Chinese electric car sales in Europe saw a sharp decline in January 2025 due to multiple factors, including the Chinese Lunar New Year.
According to European institutional statistics, sales of pure electric cars in these 14 European countries totaled 65,139 units in January 2025. (Note: The 14 countries referenced in this article are the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Ireland, Finland, Austria, Portugal, and France.)
In January 2024, 108,338 electric vehicles were sold in these countries, indicating a direct decrease of over 43,000 units. The Chinese Lunar New Year in 2024 fell in February, but even then, sales were higher at 120,627 units.
The overall market is contracting, with EV sales in China shrinking even further. Almost all Chinese brands that competed in Europe in 2024 have suffered significant losses, with only a few showing growth. Data sources may vary slightly, leading to minor discrepancies in individual brand sales figures.
As of January 2025, no Chinese brands appeared in the top ten EV sales rankings in Europe. The MG brand, previously very popular, dropped out of the top 20, while BYD was the highest-ranking Chinese brand.
Chinese automakers faced unprecedented challenges in Europe in January. A total of 23 Chinese brands recorded sales, including four European-origin brands—Volvo, Polestar, Smart, and Roadster.
These 23 brands collectively sold 10,105 units, capturing a 15% market share. However, if the three European-origin brands (Volvo, Polestar, and Smart) are excluded, total sales drop to 4,751 units, with a market share of only 7.4%, falling behind Kia, which sold 5,160 units (7.9% market share) in January.
Among Chinese brands, BYD led with 2,304 units sold, ranking 11th with a market share of 3.5%. MG followed in 21st place with 1,178 units sold. Other Chinese brands with sales exceeding 100 units included Xpeng (450 units), Leapmotor (199 units), Chery (125 units), Dongfeng (191 units), Zeekr (102 units), and Maxus (100 units). The rest sold fewer than 100 units.
Xpeng, which sold 450 units in January, had a total European sales figure of 7,277 units in 2024, achieving a 246.1% increase. The Xpeng G9 was its bestseller with 311 units, followed by the G6 (128 units) and the P7 (9 units).
NIO sold 31 units in January, with total 2024 European sales of 1,598 units—a 32.4% decline. In January, NIO's lineup included the EL6 (10 units), ET7 (9 units), EL8 (5 units), ET5 Touring (5 units), and ET5 (2 units).
Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis, has yet to gain traction in Europe. In January, it sold 199 units, with the C10 accounting for 27 and the T03 for 172. In 2024, Leapmotor sold 771 units, primarily the T03 (601 units). However, as Leapmotor begins local production in Stellantis' European factories, its prospects for 2025 remain hopeful.
Other Chinese brands showed minimal sales: Lynk & Co (18 units), Voyah (18 units), AITO (3 units), Skyworth (2 units), Yudo (1 unit), and Human Horizons (1 unit).
Looking at the broader market, 391 electric vehicle models were available in Europe in January 2025. The top three sellers were the Kia EV3 (3,541 units), Tesla Model Y (2,697 units), and Volkswagen ID.4 (2,571 units). Surprisingly, the Toyota BZ4X, which struggled in China, ranked fourth in Europe with 2,114 units sold.
Among Chinese brands, 91 models had sales in Europe. Excluding European-origin brands (Volvo, Polestar, Smart, and Roadster), 65 Chinese models were sold. The best-performing model was Volvo's EX30, with 1,864 units sold.
The top-selling Chinese-branded model was the MG4, with 809 units sold, followed by the BYD ATTO 3 (581 units). A total of 24 Chinese-funded brands had monthly sales exceeding 100 units, while 14 purely Chinese brands reached that threshold. However, 38 models sold fewer than 10 units, including 11 models that sold just one unit each.
MG's performance exemplifies the struggles of Chinese brands. MG sold 4,340 units in January 2024 (10th place) and 6,114 units in February 2024 (7th place). Its 2023 European sales of nearly 100,000 units fell to 57,760 in 2024—a 41.69% decline, highlighting the impact of European tariffs.
In January 2025, Volkswagen overtook Tesla with 7,859 units sold. However, this was a weaker result compared to previous months.
Kia ranked second with 5,160 units sold. The Kia EV3 led sales (3,541 units), followed by the Niro (616 units) and EV6 (598 units).
Tesla placed third with 4,153 units, one of its rare months with sales below 10,000. BMW followed in fourth with 4,135 units, led by the iX1 (1,091 units), i4 (997 units), i5 (507 units), iX2 (484 units), and iX (390 units).
Mercedes-Benz ranked fifth with 3,734 units, led by the EQA (1,388 units) and EQB (1,345 units), which placed 11th and 12th, respectively.
Volvo placed sixth with 3,401 units, led by the EX30 (1,864 units), which has been highly successful in Europe but less so in China.
Audi followed in seventh with 3,180 units. Its best-selling model, the Q4 E-Tron, sold 1,552 units, ranking ninth overall.
Peugeot took eighth place with 2,983 units, Hyundai ranked ninth with 2,775 units, and Toyota finished tenth with 2,634 units, led by the BZ4X (2,114 units), which placed fourth overall.
The European EV market has been cooling since 2024. Among the 14 countries analyzed, only the UK, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Spain saw growth, while Germany, France, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, Finland, and Ireland experienced declines—some exceeding 50%.
European automakers are shifting focus back to hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, reducing battery sizes to lower costs. This could be the new direction for European electrification.
Interestingly, Volkswagen is considering forming a joint venture with a Chinese automaker to produce EVs in Germany. Leveraging Chinese technology and supply chains could accelerate Europe's electrification efforts.
Senior Writer The quest for automotive knowledge began as soon as the earliest memories. Various sources information, even questionable ones, have been explored including video games, television, magazines, or even internet forums. Still stuck in that rabbit hole.
