When it comes to electric vehicles, one country dominates. Can you guess which one? It’s not the U.S. or Germany, nor is it South Korea, or Japan, rather the undeniable EV champion is China. According to analytics firm Rho Motion, more than 17 million EVs were sold globally last year, a new record. Of that total, some 11 million were delivered in China, a 40 percent year-over-year increase. Clearly, Chinese automakers have cracked the electric vehicle code, and they’re exporting their EVs to markets around the world. Here are the countries where China sells the most electric vehicles.
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Chinese EVs Zoom Ahead, But Only In Certain Markets
Overall, the populous Asian nation owns some 62 percent of the global electric vehicle market, which Rho Motion defines as pure EVs and plug-in hybrids. As expected, China’s market share varies wildly depending on the country. Their manufacturers owned 82 percent of electric vehicle sales in Brazil, for instance, which accounted for some 126,000 units last year. Similarly, Chinese OMEs captured 77 percent of the EV market in Thailand, 75 percent in Indonesia, 70 percent in Mexico, and 64 percent in Israel.
“In countries without a strong domestic auto industry,” Rho Motion shared in a post on its website, “Chinese EVs have rapidly gained market share. This is especially evident in neighboring Asian countries and in South and Central America, where Chinese manufacturers are expanding aggressively by beginning to build out production capacity, and capitalizing on the demand for affordable electric vehicles.”
Things Are Hit And Miss In Other Countries
Those are some whopping market share percentages in certain countries, but China has not been as successful in other places. The country’s EV sales in Canada, for instance, were functionally zero, ditto for the U.S., where there’s a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles in order to support domestic auto manufacturers.
Aside from those extremes, things are a bit more balanced in Europe. Major countries in the continent’s west are hovering at right around five-percent. France hit that number exactly, while Germany clocked in at 4 percent, the UK 7, and in Belgium, Chinese automakers achieved a three-percent market share for electric vehicles.
According to Rho Motion, Chinese manufacturers dominate in certain markets because they “have aggressively pursued international opportunities, offering affordable vehicles that often undercut local competitors.” This is a tale as old as time. Selling products that are more affordable is a great way to grow sales and increase market share, but not all Chinese EVs are bottom-of-the barrel offerings, oh no. Many have a reputation for offering lots of great technology, and having more-than-competitive range and charging performance, making them smart choices even compared to offerings from more established manufacturers.
