Even though European carmakers are rolling out more electrified models than ever before, Renault Group chairman Jean-Dominique Senard is weary of the competition they’ll face from Chinese EVs soon to be imported in Europe.
With countries such as France and Germany adding extra incentives for EV buyers, the markets will soon become flooded with these types of products.
You can already look to buy a great number of fully-electric models in Europe, such as Teslas, the Porsche Taycan, Mercedes EQC, Audi e-tron or the Nissan LEAF, plus upcoming ones like the updated Renault Zoe or VW’s ID.3.
Related: BYD Han EV Coming To Europe, Priced Between €45,000 – €55,000
So what do they need to worry about? For starters MG Motor, owned by Chinese giants SAIC Motor. They’ve already sold 600 of their ZS EVs in Norway, which is where many Chinese brands are converging. Also on their way are the BYD Tang EV600 and the Aiways U5. Meanwhile, Polestar is a joint venture between Volvo and Zhejiang Geely Holding, so that counts too.
“We are going to face ferocious competition from within and outside Europe,” said Senard yesterday during a parliamentary hearing. “We have to turn around quickly to be able to counter these new entrants.”
As for why everyone is so focused on Norway, it’s because that’s the fourth-biggest market for EVs in Europe, having been used by automakers such as Tesla as a commercial testing ground, reports Autonews Europe.
“There are a lot of Chinese startups making electric vehicles, including one testing SUVs in Corsica to see if they are adapted to the European market, and then sell them all over Europe,” added Senard, while referring to Aiways.
If you happen to live in Europe, would you consider purchasing a Chinese EV instead of a European/American/Japanese product?
