European sales of Chinese plug-in hybrid vehicles jumped more than 300% year-on-year in March, lifting their share of the EU hybrid market to nearly 20% from just 2% a year earlier, industry data showed.
The surge helped push overall Chinese car sales in Europe up almost 100% in March to a record 140,094 vehicles, giving Chinese brands a 9.4% slice of the total European market — triple their share two years ago.
Analysts say the rapid growth reflects a combination of aggressive pricing and improving technology, with Chinese automakers increasingly matching European rivals on features while undercutting them on cost.
“Europeans are buying Chinese cars at an unprecedented pace,” one industry source said, noting that the trend is reshaping competition in a market long dominated by established European manufacturers.
