Will Chinese auto-makers win over European drivers with their latest electric cars?

While many European and US auto-makers have decided to skip the 2022 Paris Motor Show, several Chinese manufacturers will be attending. Many of them are still largely unknown to the public, but they will soon be entering the European market with competitive electric vehicles.
Will Chinese auto-makers win over European drivers with their latest electric cars?
©Great Wall Motors

Chinese manufacturers are now making their presence felt in the European automotive landscape. Making appearances at more and more trade shows, they are also selling their first models, upgraded to European standards. These manufacturers are all specializing in electric cars, and their high production capacity generally guarantees them lower prices than the competition. At the 2022 Paris Motor Show, BYD and Great Wall Motor are expected to cause a stir with their latest models.

Several manufacturers from China are already selling their products in Europe, or are preparing to do so by the end of the year. This is the case of Aiways, BYD and MG, the former British brand now under Chinese ownership. The latest push comes from Great Wall Motor (GWM), a major Chinese group with several brands, such as Wey, for the premium sector, and the more accessible Ora. Other names to watch out for are Nio and Xpeng, two very ambitious brands that are not afraid to compete with Tesla in terms of innovation. Among the latest newcomers, which may soon arrive in Europe, are Qiantu and Leapmotor, which specialize in city cars at low prices, ie, under €20,000.

Ultimately, the most established Chinese manufacturers in Europe today are those who have simply bought up existing brands, such as Geely with Volvo and Polestar, or the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) with MG. And that’s not all, Geely and the Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) are shareholders in Mercedes.