Official data on car registrations in the European Union, EFTA, and the United Kingdom indicate steady growth in the European automotive market. However, an analysis by AutomotiveCompass, conducted by the Center of Automotive Management (CAM), reveals that this growth is unevenly distributed: the majority is driven by Asian car manufacturers.

The Contribution of Asian Manufacturers

From January to August 2026, around 500,000 additional new cars were registered in Europe, with 419,000 of these coming from Chinese companies. As a result, Chinese automakers accounted for 84% of the total market growth. Other manufacturers collectively increased their sales by only 0.3%. Without the surge in registrations of Chinese vehicles, the European market would have grown by less than 1%.

Record Numbers for Chinese Brands

Chinese car manufacturers have reached a new sales record in Europe: for the first time, the number of new registrations exceeded 1 million vehicles, totaling 1,034,685 units. This is a 68.1% increase compared to the same period last year, raising their market share from 7.1% to 11.3%.

BYD and Chery have shown particularly impressive results. BYD registered 234,099 new cars in the first eight months of the year, up 144.1% from the previous year. Chery and its sub-brands Omoda and Jaecoo increased registrations to 207,871 vehicles, nearly a 280% rise. Both manufacturers surpassed Tesla in European registrations, as Tesla recorded 191,787 electric vehicles for the same period.

Growth of Electric Vehicles and Market Structure Changes

For the first time, the number of fully electric vehicle (BEV) registrations in Europe surpassed those of cars with only gasoline engines during the first eight months of the year. BEV registrations grew by 38.8% to reach 2.13 million, increasing their market share to 23.2%. Meanwhile, gasoline car registrations fell by 17.5% to 1.97 million, and diesel vehicles dropped by 19.0%.

The adoption of electric vehicles varies by country. In France, BEVs account for nearly 30% of the market; in Germany, 26.2%; and in the UK, 25.6%. In Italy, however, this figure is only 8.0%, where most buyers still prefer conventional hybrids.

Shifts in the Competitive Landscape

The competitive environment for traditional car manufacturers is changing rapidly. The CAM analysis highlights cost structure, software, and electric vehicles as key factors for the industry's future. Registration data confirms that manufacturers unable to adapt to these changes are gradually losing ground to their Asian competitors.