Europe's automobile market is expanding, with Chinese brands achieving record market shares
Image: BYD (illustrative)
Automotive News reports that the European auto market grew by 4.1 percent in July 2026. However, according to preliminary figures from market analyst Dataforce, the pace of expansion has slowed compared to previous months. The market has risen by 5.7 percent since January. The data covers 98 percent of new vehicle registrations in the EU, United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
According to the analysis, Chinese brands achieved a record market share of 11.2 percent in July. Sales for these manufacturers rose by 107 percent. At the forefront of this trend is BYD, followed by Chery and SAIC, the parent company of the former British brand MG.
Sales of electric vehicles increased by 51 percent in July, accounting for a 25 percent market share. On an annual basis, sales of this category have already risen by 37 percent. In contrast, growth for plug-in hybrids slowed down, with sales increasing by 15 percent in July after a 24 percent increase throughout the year. Full hybrids saw only a 9 percent increase, falling short of the annual growth rate of 14 percent.
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers such as Leapmotor saw particularly strong growth, with sales rising by 294 percent to 9,306 units. XPeng increased its sales by 270 percent to 5,244 units. Chery, which includes the Omoda and Jaecoo brands, saw a 202 percent growth, while BYD, including its premium brand Denza, experienced a 150 percent increase.
Among established manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz managed to outperform market growth with a 4.7 percent increase in sales. Toyota (+2.3 %), Stellantis (+2 %), and the BMW Group (+1.7 %) also saw growth but lost market share. Tesla experienced a 36 percent decline in sales. Further declines were recorded by Ford (-16 %), Hyundai-Kia (-8.5 %), Nissan (-5.8 %), and the Volkswagen Group (-3 %).
In the electric cars category, the Renault Twingo ranked twelfth with 4,831 sales, right behind the Tesla Model Y. The Renault 5 E-Tech came in third as the best-selling pure electric vehicle. The most sold model overall was the Dacia Sandero, ahead of the VW Golf and VW T-Roc.
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About the author
Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric cars, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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