In 2023, Chinese automakers accounted for 25% of electric vehicle sales in Europe. A proportion that is found in France and which should increase due to an expansion of the offer of these manufacturers as well as the increase in their exports thanks to the commissioning, in 2024, of several cargo ships ordered specifically to carry 5,000 to 7,000 vehicles, as specified by the Chinese BYD. Reasons why the European Commission delegated, for the first landing in Bremerhaven, Germany, in February, its agents to count the vehicles.
Because the European Union (EU) wants to increase the tax on imports of the latter, currently 10% and which could rise to 20% from 2024, or even more, declared in 2023 the French Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market . A level which will not yet be sufficient to raise the price of Chinese electric cars enough compared to the price of those manufactured in Europe, according to a study published on March 27 by the European non-governmental organization Transport & Environment, even basing the calculation on customs duties of 25%.
And in France, despite the elimination, in 2024, for legal entities, of the ecological bonus of 3,000 euros when purchasing an electric car, Chinese models remain competitive. A well-advised fleet manager will only look at his calculator to choose the most profitable of his electric vehicles, preferably Chinese, with an unbeatable purchase price or monthly payments, with only “European fiber” being able to change his mind.
However, the cards could be reshuffled with the arrival of the electric Citroën C3 (ë-C3), manufactured in Trnava, Slovakia, or with that of the electric Renault 4 and 5, released from the new ElectriCity industrial complex established in Douai, Maubeuge (North) and Ruitz (Pas-de-Calais). By practicing tight prices. This is not a win, because the cost of batteries remains 20% lower for Chinese models. As for Korean manufacturers, customs agreements are also favorable to them, being subject to a European import tax of 10%, which there is no question of reassessing at the moment. Hyundai and Kia are taking advantage of this, with lower production costs, to enter the EU market with their electric range.
Factories in Europe
To gain market share, Chinese manufacturers such as MG and BYD, the world number one in electric vehicles, are also banking on the marketing in Europe of their hybrid and plug-in hybrid models at prices lower than those of European manufacturing. The latest, the MG3 Hybrid+, directly competitive with the Renault Clio E-Tech full hybrid HEV or the Toyota Yaris HEV, both sold 20% more expensive. But taxation on entry into the European Union for vehicles from Asia does not only concern electric vehicles. It is to circumvent this that BYD launched the construction of an automobile factory in Hungary. Hyundai and Kia already manufacture some of the most popular models in Europe in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
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