The impact of EU tariffs on electric vehicles from China is clearly measurable, according to a T&E analysis. In the first quarter of 2026, 17 per cent of battery-electric vehicles in the EU market originated from China, down from a peak of 22 per cent in 2024, when the tariffs were introduced. In other words, the EU market share of electric vehicles manufactured in China has declined. However, a closer look reveals a more nuanced picture. T&E notes that this decline is primarily due to Western brands producing fewer vehicles in China—and consequently importing fewer into the EU. Meanwhile, imports of Chinese-branded vehicles into the EU “continue to rise”.
The organisation states verbatim: “The decline is primarily due to Western brands such as Tesla, BMW, and Volvo shifting their production from China to Europe. The share of European manufacturers in Chinese battery-electric vehicle imports fell from 38 per cent in 2024 to 23 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.” During the same period, Tesla’s share, for example, dropped from 26 per cent to 19 per cent. Chinese automakers, in contrast, now account for ‘more than half of China’s battery-electric vehicle imports’.
Chinese brands respond differently
