2023-04-27 17:09:00
electric cars from the far east
Chinese on the offensive: which new car models are coming to Europe this year
The HiPhi X SUV model from the Chinese manufacturer Human Horizons is on display at this year’s Auto Shanghai. It is one of numerous vehicle models to be launched on the European market.
© CFOTO / Picture Alliance
The Chinese automakers have Europe in their sights: many want to introduce new electric vehicles from China this year. An overview of the models that can now be expected.
Car manufacturers from China have risen to become technology leaders in electromobility. They have made the People’s Republic the largest electric car market in the world. And many Chinese car manufacturers are now planning an expansion: the big offensive is imminent. Numerous new car models are to come onto the European market this year.
Various vehicles had their premieres at Auto Shanghai in the past few days. For example, the Chinese start-up Human Horizons showed its models, which will soon also be available outside of China. With the HiPhi X, the start-up wants to bring an SUV model to Europe that competes with the Tesla Model X. In addition to the vehicle of the upper class, which according to the company is the best-selling electric car in the luxury class in China, a second model, a coupe called HiPhi Z, is also in the starting blocks. The tests for approval by the TÜV have been completed; the market launches in Europe are not long in coming.
The Chinese manufacturer has already developed a third model, the HiPhi Y, which should be available to European customers in 2024. According to British Chief Technology Officer Mark Stanton, the Chinese company wants to be active in seventeen European countries and seven in the Middle East in the next five years. Sales rooms in Munich and Oslo are to start.
The Zeekr brand, which, like Volvo, Lynk, Polestar and Smart, belongs to the Geely car group, announced last week at the world’s most important car show in Shanghai that it intends to sell the first models in Europe this year. The X and 001 are scheduled to launch in Europe in Sweden and the Netherlands. The former should compete with the VW ID.3, while the 001 is more of a class above it. It is not yet known what the Stromer will cost. What is clear, however, is that the market launch on other European markets is planned.
Existing Chinese automakers want to expand business in Europe
In addition to the newcomers, Chinese automakers, which have already put their first vehicles on sale in Europe, are planning to follow up with other models. BYD, currently the market leader in electric cars in China, has so far introduced three models in Europe: the Atto 3 and Tang SUV models and the Han sedan. The small car Dolphin and the sedan Seal are to follow this year. With the Dolphin, the VW ID.3 faces further competition. The model will cost 30,000 to 36,000 euros in Europe and is scheduled to be launched in June, with the Seal in September. The BYD YangWang U8 SUV also made its debut in Shanghai.
MG Motor also already sells several vehicle models in Europe, including the MG EHS plug-in hybrid, the MG5 Electric all-electric station wagon and the new MG4 Electric hatchback, launched in Germany in September 2022. By 2025, the range should increase to ten model series. With the Cyberster presented at Auto Shanghai, an electric roadster is expected to come onto the European market in summer 2024.
Xpeng launched the G3i and P5 electric models in Norway in May 2022. In early February, the Chinese manufacturer started selling its latest models, the flagship e-SUV G9 and the e-sedan P7, in Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Sweden. The company plans to open four delivery and service centers here in the first half of 2023. Business will soon start in Germany as well.
Also involved in the European business for some time: Great Wall Motor (GWM). The car manufacturer has been preparing for the market launch in Europe for some time. With the Funky Cat from the ORA brand, which has design parallels to the VW Beetle, a small electric car came to Germany in January.
Expert trusts “one or the other Chinese manufacturer” market share in Germany
From late summer, the U6 SUV coupé from Aiways will be available to European customers. It is the brand’s second model after the Aiways U5 SUV, which was launched in Europe in 2020. Founded in 2017, the company plans to launch a new model every year.
The successful start-up Nio is targeting the premium competition. The electric sedan ET7 is already available in Europe. At the end of March, the ET5 followed in Germany. The smaller electric sedan is priced at 42,000 euros and competes with the Tesla Model 3. A small model is to appear in the next quarter.
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In the future, other car manufacturers from China are likely to advance into Europe. There is no guarantee of success for the many electric models from the Far East. Stefan Reindl, head of the Geislinger Institute for the Automotive Industry, believes that “one or the other Chinese manufacturer” is capable of a market share of up to two percent in Germany in the next five years, as he recently told the German Press Agency.
Sources: Handelsblatt, Hiphi, NZZ, BYD, Aiways, Xpeng, Springer Professional
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