Chinese Automakers Expand European Sales, Service and Production

What changed

More than 20 Chinese automakers arrived at the 91st Paris Motor Show on Oct. 12 with electric, plug-in hybrid and smart vehicles. Their numbers doubled from the previous show, exceeding the combined count of German and French exhibitors.

Changan, Geely, Leapmotor, BYD, Dongfeng, Chery, GAC and others brought new models and laid out plans for European sales, service, manufacturing and partnerships.

Why it matters

This is no longer just a story about exporting cars. Chinese automakers are trying to build the machinery around the sale: dealerships, repair networks, research teams, factories and local partnerships.

The market numbers show why. Chinese brands held 10.7% of Europe’s car market in the second quarter of 2026, up from 5.7% a year earlier. In Western Europe’s plug-in hybrid market, their share rose above 26%, from 2.2% two years earlier.

Changan says it will have 180,000 units of European capacity by 2028. It already has more than 350 service outlets across 15 countries. Leapmotor has more than 1,000 European retail outlets across 36 countries, and its B10 is being built at Stellantis’s Zaragoza plant in Spain.

The strategies differ. Geely is using a three-brand structure across mainstream, premium and technology-focused cars, while working with Renault and Ford. Leapmotor is using Stellantis’s network and factories. Changan is putting design, engineering, parts and service closer to European customers.

Our reading is that the decisive shift is from “made in China, sold abroad” to “designed, serviced and increasingly built in Europe.” That can leave more of the value chain in European markets, while giving Chinese companies a way to reduce the distance between a new brand and the person deciding whether to buy it.

It also creates a more tangled competitive relationship. European automakers face stronger competition, but partnerships with Chinese companies may help them move faster on electric vehicles and vehicle platforms. The next test is not whether Chinese brands can fill a motor-show hall. It is whether they can turn attention into lasting sales, trusted brands and premium pricing.