A large number of new energy vehicles at the Yantai Port in East China's Shandong Province wait to be loaded onto ships for export on December 25, 2024. Photo: VCG

Editor's Note:

In today's world, green has become the defining color of the New Era in China, with green development emerging as a significant feature of Chinese modernization. Green development, which seeks to promote harmony between humanity and nature while maximizing economic and social benefits with minimal resource consumption, has now become a global consensus. China is actively implementing the concept of sustainable development and is playing a key role in driving the global transition toward a low-carbon future.

However, earlier in 2024, the US launched a narrative of "overcapacity" to attack China's new energy sector as part of its unilateral trade protectionism. Against this backdrop, we are launching the year-ender 2024 series that casts a global eye on the transformative power of China's green energy initiatives, illuminating how they empower individuals around the world to realize their dreams and foster hope and development.

In this installment, we travel to Europe with China's new energy vehicles (NEVs), taking a closer look at how Chinese NEV makers strive to expand their European market, and better serve local consumers with their advanced technology and satisfying cost-performance ratios. Their efforts integrate China's green development concept into Europe's growing demand for a low-carbon lifestyle.

This summer, Vunk embarked on his first road trip across Europe in his new Chinese EV. 

From the Netherlands to Switzerland, he was deeply impressed by the convenience and efficiency of the battery-swapping process. "There is no need to leave the car, and within five minutes, you're ready to go with a full charge," he told the Global Times.

Vunk is among the earliest Dutch customers to purchase a vehicle made by NIO, one of China's leading EV brands. 

Since first seeing the car at a German auto show, Vunk was impressed by NIO's offerings. After interacting with the car up close at the launch event in Berlin, he decided to become a NIO owner and promptly ordered an ET7.

This decision was far from impulsive. Like many other European car owners, Vunk had long been following the development of Chinese EVs. 

On the popular question-and-answer website Quora, there's a post asking, "Why do we allow Chinese cars in the European market?"

Under this post, a user commented, "Presumably for the same reason that European cars are sold in China: because there's a market for them." The user then cited a vice-president of a French auto consultancy as saying, "Forget what you might think that Chinese means lower quality or lower safety performance... Their quality is now better than others."

Environmentally friendly and cost-effective Chinese electric vehicles are becoming increasingly common on the streets of Europe. In Paris, a passerby captured a photo of a car from the Chinese brand Leapmoto and praised it as "beautiful" online; In Oslo, an EV from the NIO slowly pulled up to a street-side charging station...

China exported about 1.14 million NEVs in the first 11 months of 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. As more Chinese NEVs appear on European streets, they provide local consumers with more travel options, trying to be icing on the cake of Europe's auto market and a contributor to a climate-neutral Europe.

Icing on the cake

In October, 48 auto brands showcased their offerings at the week-long 2024 Paris Motor Show, one of the most historic and influential auto shows in the world. Nine Chinese brands including Leapmotor, Xpeng, and Seres, made a strong appearance at the show and attracted great attention. "It's truly a 'boom' for Chinese vehicles," a visitor told the Global Times at the show.

Leapmotor's small-size EV "T03" received many orders during the show. With a starting price of 18,900 euros ($19,648), this model "has been experiencing a steady increase in sales since its official launch in Europe in October," with the top five countries by sales being Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and Malta, according to Leapmotor.

This Chinese EV manufacturer stated that the age demographic of its European buyers is quite broad. "Notably, last month [November] in Germany, a 93-year-old buyer came to test drive the T03, and he immediately paid in full to purchase it," a Leapmotor employee told the Global Times.

Leapmotor also has another EV model, the "C10," available in the European market, starting at 36,400 euros. "Currently both of the two models are fully electric with zero carbon emissions," the company said. "Through the sales of our EVs globally, we strive to help address the urgent issue of global warming."

Chinese EV brands have gained widespread recognition across Europe.

NIO's models have all earned five-star Euro NCAP safety ratings. 

"The Chinese car market is quietly revolutionizing the EV world with its innovations and we're barely aware it's happening," read the website of Top Gear.

An owner of an NIO EV, Vunk said he has been highly satisfied with the product, services, and user community. He expressed his enthusiasm for Chinese EV brands, saying he would continue to recommend Chinese NEVs to more of his friends.

Green travel

Leading Chinese automakers present their latest electric vehicles at the Paris Auto Show on October 15, 2024. Photo: VCG

As the global call for environmental protection and sustainable development grows stronger, the demand for NEVs in the European market has increased rapidly as well. 

China drives the majority of global EV sales growth. According to the International Energy Agency's report "Global EV Outlook 2024," China exported over 4 million cars in 2023, making it the largest auto exporter in the world. Among them 1.2 million were EVs, an 80-percent growth year-on-year. The main export markets for these vehicles were Europe, and countries in the Asia Pacific region.

China tries to lead the way in green travel. "China is at the forefront of the global transition to EVs largely because it has spent decades investing in and building up its talent, production capacity, and infrastructure in the green technology field," commented a September article on Global Voices, an online, community-based media outlet.

Against the backdrop of Europe's energy crisis, China's EV industry has actively engaged in supporting the region's transition to electrified mobility.

For instance, the battery-swapping model of the NIO provides an efficient alternative to traditional charging, significantly enhancing user convenience through its "chargeable, swappable, and upgradable" system. Supported by a global network of over 2,400 battery-swapping stations, users can ensure their vehicles are fully charged in less than four minutes, the Global Times learned from NIO.

The European Union (EU) has set an ambitious target to phase out combustion engines by 2035 as part of its Green Deal. And this target, if it places a responsibility on vehicle customers, can be embodied as greener and more convenient modes of travel with fewer carbon emissions. Or in other words, options for high-quality NEVs.

Many vehicle customers in Europe have made their choices. For example, one customer, Yolanda Jonas, spoke highly of Chinese NEVs, saying they are well-balanced between technology, quality, and performance.

"Although German cars have a higher level of powertrain performance, I would still choose Chinese NEVs from a configuration perspective," she told the Global Times. "This is because, in the same market segment, Chinese cars offer a much more competitive price-to-performance ratio compared to others."

'Simply great'

Cars drive along the German Autobahn in Berlin. Photo: VCG

Through improvement of service networks, collaboration with local partners, and plans to establish Europe-based factories, Chinese NEV companies are stepping further ahead in facilitating the region's green transition by offering affordable, cutting-edge EVs to consumers there, regardless of the incessant chatter from some trade protectionists.

Chinese EV brands are taking a comprehensive approach to their expansion in Europe. 

NIO, for instance, established its first global design center in Munich in 2015. In April, the company inaugurated a Smart Driving Technology Center in Berlin, followed by the opening of its largest European NIO House in Amsterdam in June, alongside a new experience center in Oslo.

The company plans to open more experience centers while steadily rolling out additional battery-swapping stations and charging infrastructure across Europe. Chinese EV manufacturers are also poised to contribute to local economic growth and generate new job opportunities across Europe in the near future. 

In partnership with multinational automotive company Stellantis, Leapmotor had opened 339 dealerships in Europe as of October, all of which offer sales and after-sales services. 

"We plan to establish 500 sales points in Europe by the end of 2025," Leapmotor told the Global Times, adding that in 2025, it will speed up exploring European markets, and particularly "in restricted markets, Stellantis group assists us in achieving localized production."

China's annual production of NEVs surpassed the 10 million milestone for the first time in November, making China the first country in the world to do so, said the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. The vigorous development of China's NEV industry is representing a positive contribution to the world's green transformation and climate security.

Earlier, one day in October, customer Norbert Neidhart entered a Chinese-branded EV store in Frankfurt, and was soon attracted by the design and technology of the Chinese EVs. He praised the vehicles on display as very modern and even "perfect." 

"They are amazing. I would recommend them to my friends," he told the Global Times in German. "Made in China, simply great!"

Driving the green future