Chinese Automakers Already Dominate The Global EV Market

It’s no secret that Chinese car manufacturers are leading the charge (no pun intended) regarding electric vehicles. This comes even though these automakers don’t sell a single car in the United States, the world’s second-largest car market. How are they doing it? By selling EVs in pretty much every other major market.

Data recently compiled by Rho Motion reveals that Chinese brands hold a 76% share of the global EV (and PHEV) market thanks to aggressive expansions into new markets. In some European countries, Chinese EVs account for a relatively small proportion of overall EV and PHEV sales, but in less developed nations they are proving particularly popular.

Read: Porsche’s High Prices And Outdated Tech Are Killing Its Sales In China, Could It Happen Here?

In Germany, Europe’s largest car market, approximately 4% of the total 578,000 EVs sold last year were from China. Similarly, Chinese EVs accounted for 7% and 5% of total EV sales in the UK and France respectively. In the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Belgium, the Chinese EVs hold 6%, 5%, 8%, and 3% of the market, respectively. Chinese brands have a larger presence in Spain and Austria, accounting for 10% and 11% of total EV sales.

But outside Europe, there’s a different story. In Brazil, a remarkable 82% of all EVs and PHEVs sold in 2024 came from China. Similarly, they have a 77% share of the market in Thailand and a 70% share in Mexico. They also account for 75% of all EVs and PHEVs delivered in Indonesia, 52% in Malaysia, 74% in Nepal, and 64% in Israel. They’re also popular in Australia and New Zealand, accounting for 26% and 15% of sales.

Many of these countries don’t have any local car industry, and this appears to help the case of Chinese carmakers. Additionally, EVs and PHEVs from the Far East are often much more affordable compared to models from legacy automakers, adding to their appeal.