China Auto Thread

[Beijingwalker]

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Chinese automobiles are dominating overseas markets, and the era of "the winner takes all" is approaching.​

2026-06-11 13:21

Chinese Automobiles Dominate Overseas Markets: The Era of "Winner Takes All" Approaches

Chinese automobiles are on the verge of fully capturing the overseas market in the near future.

eu.36kr.com

 

[royalharris]

BYD looking to take over existing factory for second European EV plant, executive says
BERLIN, June 10 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD , opens new tab is looking to take over an existing factory in southern Europe for its second assembly plant on the continent, with Spain among the countries ‌on its shortlist, a top executive said on Wednesday.
"We would prefer to take over an existing plant," executive vice president Stella Li told reporters in Berlin during the European launch of the Dolphin G, a small electric car.

She did not say which other European countries are on ⁠BYD's shortlist, or when a decision on a location was expected.
Li told Reuters this week that the world's largest EV maker's top priority is starting production at its first European plant in Hungary in the fourth quarter - about a year later than planned.

Meanwhile, the automaker has put a planned plant in Turkey on hold.
BYD's sales in Europe grew 270% last year to almost 188,000 vehicles, and more than doubled this year to May to more than 100,000 ‌units.

Building ⁠EVs in Europe would help BYD avoid European Union tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars.
Europe's auto industry has been plagued for years by excess capacity, especially in western Europe, where labour and energy costs are higher.
Stellantis , has been particularly vocal about pursuing ⁠deals to lease space in its underutilised European factories to Chinese automakers including Leapmotor, and Dongfeng.
Alfredo Altavilla, a senior advisor to BYD in Europe, told Reuters Chinese automakers are scouting existing ⁠factories in Europe because the EU's proposed 'Made in Europe' rules for minimum local content in cars would take effect before entirely new plants could ⁠start production.
"There is no time to start a greenfield plant today," Altavilla said. "All you can do is find a brownfield, take it over and refurbish."

According to reliable sources, BYD is highly likely to choose either Spain or Italy as the location for its second European factory.

Toyota and Volkswagen are also simultaneously cancelling their investments and factory-building plans in Turkey.

 

[digitalSurgeon]

Perhaps the Turkish one will not be exempt from eu fees

 

[royalharris]

Turkey may indeed lack the foundations and conditions needed to attract foreign investment.

That is billions-dollar-level investment, which could greatly boost the automotive supply chain as well as related automotive electronics and semiconductor supply chains.

 

[ety]

That's a sensible decision considering the logistics to the markets and the trustworthiness of Turkey.

 

[royalharris]

I believe BYD has made the right choice.

Under the current circumstances, Europe is actively attracting Chinese investment，Turkey is still bargaining and even setting up related obstacles.
This is a mutual choice between BYD and the governments of Spain, Italy, and Turkey.

In the first half of 2026, the Spanish Prime Minister and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister visited China respectively, which may be related to this.

 

[Eşbah]

BYD has been kicked out of the Turkish market as a result. They're effectively blacklisted.

Most sold EVs in April:

 

[royalharris]

BYD has been kicked out of the Turkish market as a result. They're effectively blacklisted.

Most sold EVs in April:

So this is a good thing for all three parties. Let’s celebrate together.

The current situation is that China is Turkey’s largest source of imported high-tech products. In 2025, China exported around USD 40 billion worth of products to Turkey, mainly electromechanical products and related components. Turkey exported around USD 4.5 billion worth of products to China, mainly agricultural and mineral products.

Moreover, Turkey’s imports of high-tech products from China have continued to increase.

I hope you will advise the Turkish government to resist high-tech products from China.

 

[Eşbah]

Not really. We won nothing but you lost everything [in the Turkish market].

In April 2025, 3 out of the 10 most sold EV models were BYD.

So this is a good thing for all three parties. Let’s celebrate together.

Turkey still works very closely with Chinese companies but BYD is history. For me personally, this is a blessing in disguise. The government has to focus more on TOGG now.

 

[royalharris]

Not really. We won nothing but you lost everything [in the Turkish market].

In April 2025, 3 out of the 10 most sold EV models were BYD.



Turkey still works very closely with Chinese companies but BYD is history. For me personally, this is a blessing in disguise. The government has to focus more on TOGG now.

Are there any other options?
Apart from BYD, Toyota and Volkswagen have also withdrawn from Turkey.

 

[Eşbah]

Are there any other options?
Apart from BYD, Toyota and Volkswagen have also withdrawn from Turkey.

Where do you get your information from? Both companies are still producing in Turkey.

 

[royalharris]

Where do you get your information from? Both companies are still producing in Turkey.

In December 2020, Volkswagen liquidated the company entity it had established in Turkey; related reports also stated that Volkswagen later shifted to investing around €1 billion in its plant in Slovakia.

Toyota already has a factory in Turkey, but it has suspended its plans for new investment.

 

[royalharris]

BYD’s original planned investment in Turkey included not only a factory, but also an R&D center, and other supporting upstream and downstream industrial chain facilities.BYD’s planned second European factory in Turkey could have provided around 5,000 direct jobs and approximately 25,000 indirect jobs across the industrial supply chain, meaning it could have created about 30,000 new jobs in total.

Now it appears very likely to shift to Spain, although Italy will also have a chance.

From January to May 2026, BYD’s overseas sales reached 610,000 units, representing year-on-year growth of approximately 64.9%.

 

[royalharris]

Turkish investment office disclosed in 2025 that Chery planned to invest around USD 1 billion to build an automobile factory in Samsun, northern Turkey, which was expected to create about 5,000 jobs.

However, Chery had told Reuters that no final agreement had been signed, and the investment remained great uncertain.

BYD’s decision is very likely to influence the decisions of other Chinese new energy vehicle companies and their supporting industrial supply chains.

 

[Indos]

BYD cars now are every where in Jakarta. When it comes to electric now it is between China and Korea in Indonesia. Japan is so stubborn not going full electric and chose hybrid instead.