Chinese carmakers captured a record 12.8% of Europe’s electric-vehicle market in November, building on gains made this year despite the cost of European Union tariffs.

In the fast-growing hybrid-car categories, Chinese brands resumed their rise, surpassing 13% across the EU, EFTA countries and the U.K., according to researcher Dataforce.

Brands led by BYD Co. and SAIC Motor Corp., along with newer entrants such as Chery Automobile Co. and Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co., have redoubled efforts to crack the European market this year. Overcapacity in China has fed the export push, as manufacturers seek a release from relentless price wars in their domestic market.  

Mainland automakers have largely absorbed the extra fees that the EU imposed on Chinese-made EVs in late 2024, while pressing into areas unaffected by the new tariffs, such as hybrid models and non-EU markets like the U.K. 

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Through October, Leapmotor’s European EV sales had surged more than 4,000%, based on separate data from Jato Dynamics — growth bolstered by a joint venture with Stellantis NV, the parent of Peugeot, Fiat and Opel. Chery’s Omoda brand saw a 1,100% EV rise over the same time frame.

As Chinese automakers sell more electrified models in Europe, the region’s homegrown automakers have tried to keep up, while lobbying for an easing of rules phasing out traditional fossil fuel-powered cars. 

EU officials have proposed dropping a plan to ban sales of new combustion-powered vehicles by 2035, in the latest bid to protect one of the continent’s most important industries from a chaotic energy transition.