China’s carmakers are rewriting Europe’s auto hierarchy as Japanese rivals lose ground
But the rapid gains could slow if the EU widens tariffs on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, analysts said Data from the Bremen-based consultancy Schmidt Automotive Research showed those efforts had paid off, with their market share in 18 countries in western Europe surging to 10 per cent in April from only 4.9 per cent a year ago. The rising popularity of Chinese cars had also squeezed the market share of Japanese marques to 10.3 per cent in April from 11.4 per cent a year earlier, well below the up to 14.3 per cent commanded by the likes of Toyota and Nissan in 2007. The slow transition by Japanese carmakers to battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hampered by limited scale because of the domestic market’s lack of demand, had cost them market share, said Matthias Schmidt, a European autos analyst at the German consultancy. “The Japanese need to bring genuinely strong BEVs to market to compete,” Schmidt said. “The danger is that European consumers may no longer see the nuances between Chinese and Japanese cars.”
