Chinese brands sold a combined 70,465 vehicles in Europe in January, up 80% YoY, lifting market share from 4% in January 2025 to 7.4%. Data released on Feb. 24 by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) show that new car registrations in the European Union totaled 799,625 units in January 2026, down 3.9% year on year. Including the United Kingdom and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, total registrations reached 961,382 units, representing a 3.5% decline. By powertrain, hybrid electric vehicles remained the preferred choice among European consumers. In January, HEVs accounted for 38.6% of the EU market, ranking first. Battery electric vehicles increased their share to 19.3%, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 9.8%. Combined market share for gasoline and diesel vehicles fell to 30.1%, underscoring the continued structural decline of traditional internal combustion engine cars. Against a backdrop of modest overall market contraction, Chinese brands accelerated their penetration in Europe. According to Dataforce, Chinese marques sold a combined 70,465 vehicles in Europe in January, up 80% year on year, lifting market share from 4% in January 2025 to 7.4%. BYD maintained strong growth momentum. ACEA data show the company registered 13,982 vehicles in the EU in January, up 175.3% year on year, with market share rising to 1.7%. Including the UK and EFTA markets, BYD’s monthly registrations reached 18,242 units, up 165%. SAIC Motor registered 13,790 vehicles in the EU in January, down 0.8% year on year, with market share holding at 1.9%. Including the UK and EFTA, registrations totaled 19,254 units, down 1.8%. Tesla’s sales in the EU continued to decline, with January registrations at 7,187 units, down 1.6% year on year and representing a 0.9% market share. Including the UK and EFTA markets, registrations fell to 8,075 units, a 17.0% year-on-year decrease. Among other European brands, BMW registrations declined 6.4%, Volkswagen brand fell 10.6%, and Volvo dropped 13.6% amid broader market weakness. Japanese automakers Toyota and Nissan recorded declines of 12.7% and 16.2%, respectively.