In-depth intelligence on China's EV sector and its impact on Europe
Canada replaced its 106.1% Chinese EV surtax with a 6.1% quota on March 1. The brands with existing Canadian certifications — Tesla, Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus — are first in line. BYD and Chery are still working through homologation. Managed-access frameworks reward whoever is already there.
Volvo's XC70 PHEV is built in China on a Geely platform, confirmed for Europe, and faces the same 10% import duty as every other Chinese-built PHEV. The specs are strong. The real question is whether a Swedish badge changes how European buyers think about a Chinese car.
BAIC has completed a sodium-ion battery prototype with 4C charging, a full charge in 11 minutes, and over 92% capacity retention at -20°C. The technology is no longer theoretical. European manufacturers are developing sodium-ion cells, but none have a mass-production passenger EV application announced.
Leapmotor opened its first overseas design centre in Munich and is producing prototypes in Spain, with commercial production starting October 2026. A Stellantis partnership, a Chinese state-owned minority shareholder, and a Spain-built SUV priced below European rivals. The category question is genuinely open.
BYD's Atto 3 Evo brings 220kW fast-charging to Europe and is already on sale in E.U. markets. The specs close the gap with premium rivals. The pricing, the tariffs, and a looming E.U. regulation make the full picture considerably more complicated.
The brand is LEPAS (Leopard + Leap + Passion). It's being positioned as Chery's premium new energy marque for the West , not the value-for-money play that Omoda and Jaecoo represent, but a deliberate step up targeting mid-to-high-end buyers with what the brand describes as "elegant living" as its core proposition.
BYD confirmed 20,000 stations planned in China by year-end, and more than 3,000 ultra-fast chargers in Europe by end of 2026, with initial Polish sites confirmed capable of delivering 1,000kW through a standard CCS2 connector.
The Moment the Steering Column Disappeared Turn the wheel of a NIO ET9, the Chinese brand’s flagship executive sedan, currently available in China and under active European market consideration and nothing mechanical happens. There is no column. No rack. No…
Finnish startup Donut Lab has released results from the second independent test of its "Donut Solid State Battery V1," conducted by Finland's state-backed VTT Technical Research Centre.
BYD just outsold Tesla in Europe. That headline is real — but is it also a distraction from what's actually happening underneath?
