A dizzying number of electric vehicles produced in China were shipped to Germany in the first quarter of 2023, more than tripling from the same period last year.
The official statistics office of Germany has revealed that 28.2% of the electric vehicles imported into the country during the January-March period originated from China. This figure demonstrates a substantial rise from the 7.8% recorded over the same period in 2022, highlighting China’s expanding influence in the global adoption of EVs.
Germany’s economic challenges extend beyond electric vehicle imports. The data reveals a decline of 23.9% in German exports of new vehicles to China compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In addition, China’s dominance in the German market is evident with 86% of imported personal computers, 67.8% of smartphones and telephones, and 39.2% of lithium-ion batteries originating from China last quarter. These statistics underscore the growing dependence on Chinese imports across multiple sectors, posing further concerns for Germany’s economy.
“Many products for everyday life, but also goods for the energy transition, now come to a large extent from China,” the office noted.
Read: Get Ready For Chinese EVs To Flood The World As Costs And Prices Continue To Fall
The number of electric vehicles produced in China and sold internationally is expected to grow considerably over the coming years. Chinese automakers exported some 2 million vehicles in 2022, representing a four-fold increase from 2020. At the current rate, Chinese car exports could top 3 million vehicles this year.
BYD is making the most of the increased demand for Chinese EVs. In 2022, it exported 56,000 examples of the popular Yuan Plus EV / Atto 3 and has ambitions to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs. Another key player in China’s EV market, Nio, is also planning a rapid expansion that will include the launch of an affordable EV brand in Europe. It is also thinking about selling its vehicles in the United States.
