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EU hybrid car imports from China surge after EV tariff shift
Chinese-made fully hybrid sales rose to 160,662 in the first seven months of 2026, while plug-in hybrid sales climbed to 217,764 over the same period.
Sales of Chinese-made hybrid cars in the EU have surged in the years after Brussels targeted Chinese electric vehicles with anti-subsidy tariffs, raising fresh alarms about the future of Europe’s car industry, according to Guardian Business.
The outlet reports that only 659 Chinese-made fully hybrid cars were sold in the EU in 2022. After the EU imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on fully electric cars from China in 2024, fully hybrid sales jumped to 160,662 in the first seven months of this year.
Eurostat data cited by Guardian Business also show rapid growth in Chinese plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can recharge via an external power source as well as the fuel engine. Plug-in hybrid sales rose from 56,706 in 2022 to 217,764 from January through July this year.
Brussels has asked China to voluntarily reduce its hybrid exports to the EU or face safeguards likely in the form of quotas, the outlet adds. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association figures show hybrids are now close to 37% of the overall market, while electric cars are just over 21%, and Chinese brands including BYD, Chery and Leapmotor are posting triple-digit growth in the EU.