Chinese carmakers gain ground at Paris show as EU caps hybrid imports and Stellantis, Renault push UK inclusion

Chinese brands gain ground in Paris

The Paris Motor Show opened on Monday, 12 October 2026, and runs until 18 October. Counts of Chinese exhibitors vary by source: Ouest France counted 21 of the 49 stands, RFI reported 20 Chinese manufacturers, matching the number of European brands, and France 24 put the figure at more than 20, twice the number of two years ago. Courrier international, citing The Economist and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wrote that about twenty of just over 60 brands come from East Asia. RFI also reports that hybrid vehicle exports to the EU tripled in the first half of the year, reaching US$7.5 billion.

Li Auto, which RFI describes as the number one maker of premium electric and hybrid cars in China, is exhibiting in Paris and in Europe for the first time. A company spokesperson said its i6 model was designed with European customers in mind. SAIC, Chery and BYD, which RFI says account for 90% of Chinese vehicle sales in the EU bloc, arrived with large stands and about ten models each.

Lionel French Keogh, operational director of Chery Group in France, expects half a million visitors over the show. He said Chinese prices are more competitive than those of traditional European makers despite EU import tariffs.

EU quota and the UK question

The EU confirmed on Monday that it will limit hybrid electric vehicle imports from China to 350,000 cars a year, with the quota coming into force in December. The EU expects it to halve China's market share, which the Guardian puts at 6%, under a four-year agreement made in Beijing last week. Under the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, cars must be 'made in Europe' and contain enough European parts and materials to qualify for EV grants and public procurement.

Emanuele Cappellano, who leads Stellantis's European brands, and François Provost, chief executive of Renault, said the UK should effectively be counted as one of the EU's 27 member states for the proposed rules. They also urged the British government to consider limiting imports of Chinese cars. Britain risks exclusion if Brussels adopts a strict definition of 'European' as covering only EU countries. Stellantis still has a British factory, in Ellesmere Port, Merseyside, which produces small vans.

Europe's share and the tsunami warning

Ouest France reports that Chinese brands now account for more than 10% of car sales in Europe, a level specialists had expected around 2030. Bernard Jullien, an economist specialising in the car sector, blamed European naivety and weak protection for the rise.

We must contain the tsunami in Europe.

Jullien said Japanese carmakers took more than 30 years to reach a 10% market share. He called the current duties on Chinese electric cars insufficient and said hybrids and plug-in hybrids face no import tax. He noted that the sector employs 13.6 million people in Europe. Ouest France also cites the Jaecoo brand, which reached France in April and was already sold at discount dealers that same month.

Launches and industry strategy

Emmanuel Macron attended the show on Monday, opening the 91st edition. The highlight is the electric reboot of the 2 CV, according to France 24. Stellantis is betting on small, affordable electric cars to win back customers, and Citroën's chief executive, Xavier Chardon, spoke to France 24 about the Citroën 2CV revival. John Bozzella, chief executive of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, discussed with France 24 the challenge Chinese competitors pose to European and North American carmakers.