NEV Owner Guide

Chinese EV Brands in Europe and Australia (2026): Who Sells What

Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-06

Chinese EV Brands in Europe and Australia (2026)

A few years ago, MG was the only Chinese-owned car brand most people in the UK or Australia could name. In 2026 there are many. Some sell large volumes, some are new arrivals, and some are well-known European brands with Chinese owners.

This guide gives a factual overview: the main groups and brands, what they sell, and what the latest official registration figures show. Model lineups were checked on the brands' official websites on 6 October 2026 and change often, so check the brand's local site before you shop.

The big picture in numbers

Europe (EU + EFTA + UK), January–August 2026

ACEA, the European carmakers' association, publishes registrations by manufacturer group. For the first eight months of 2026 it reports (ACEA, 24 Sep 2026):

Group (as listed by ACEA) Registrations, Jan–Aug 2026
Geely Group (Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Smart, Lotus, LEVC) 289,128
BYD 234,099 (+144.1% year on year; 2.5% market share)
SAIC Motor (includes MG) 230,290
Chery (including Omoda, Jaecoo, Jetour) 207,871
Leapmotor (via its joint venture with Stellantis) 73,297

These figures cover all powertrains, not just EVs. Geely Group's total also includes Volvo and Polestar, both part of the Geely group. For context, battery-electric cars took 21.7% of the EU market in January–August 2026 (ACEA).

Australia, September 2026

Australia's VFACTS figures for September 2026, reported by CarExpert, show EVs at 24.2% of new vehicle sales for the month (26,287 of 108,778), and 18.9% year to date. China-sourced vehicles totalled 42,358 for the month (CarExpert, 6 Oct 2026).

Total September sales (all powertrains) for Chinese brands included:

Brand Sales, Sep 2026
BYD 8,191 (2nd in the market overall)
GWM 5,212
MG 4,635
Geely 4,473
Chery 4,205
Omoda Jaecoo 2,310
Zeekr 2,050
GAC 1,101
Xpeng 615
Denza 385
Polestar 200
Leapmotor 146
Deepal 63

Chinese-brand electric models with strong September sales included the BYD Sealion 7 (2,687), Geely EX5 (2,008) and Zeekr 7X (1,628) (CarExpert).

Brand by brand

BYD

BYD sells both fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids (which it calls DM-i).

  • UK lineup (official site): electric models Dolphin Surf, Dolphin, Atto 2, Atto 3 Evo, Seal and Sealion 7, plus DM-i plug-in hybrids Atto 2 DM-i, Dolphin G DM-i, Seal 6 DM-i (including Touring), Seal U DM-i and Sealion 5 DM-i (BYD UK).
  • Australia lineup (official site navigation): Atto 1, Atto 2, Atto 2 DM-i, Atto 3, Atto 3 Evo, Dolphin, Seal, Seal 6, Seal 6 Touring, Sealion 5, Sealion 6, Sealion 7, Sealion 8, Shark 6 and M9, a mix of EVs and plug-in hybrids (BYD Australia).

BYD promotes its LFP "Blade" battery. For example, BYD Australia lists the Atto 3 Evo with a 60.48 kWh or 74.88 kWh LFP Blade battery (BYD Australia, Atto 3). This matters for charging habits: see should you charge to 100%?

Denza, BYD's premium brand, also sells in Australia (385 sales in September 2026).

MG (SAIC Motor)

MG is owned by China's SAIC Motor and has been in the UK and Australian markets for years. Its UK site currently lists the MG3 and MG3 Hybrid, MG4 EV and MG4 EV Urban, MGS5 EV, MGS6 EV, MG IM5 and MG IM6, the ZS and ZS Hybrid, the HS range (including Hybrid and PHEV), the MGS9 PHEV, the Cyberster and the MG Go (MG UK).

The MG4 EV remains a reference point for compact EVs. MG's UK brochure lists the SE Long Range at 288 miles WLTP from a 64 kWh battery (61.7 kWh usable) (MG4 EV brochure, Aug 2025).

Geely Group: Geely, Zeekr, Polestar, Volvo and more

In Europe, ACEA's Geely Group figure covers Volvo, Polestar, Zeekr, Lynk & Co, Smart, Lotus and LEVC (ACEA group definition). In Australia, the Geely brand itself sells electric models including the EX5 (2,008 sales in September 2026) and EX2 (1,211) (CarExpert).

Zeekr in Australia lists the 009, the Zeekr X (including a new version), the 7GT and the 7X (Zeekr Australia). In Europe, Zeekr's 7X leaflet lists three versions: a 75 kWh RWD with 480 km WLTP, a 100 kWh RWD with 615 km, and a 100 kWh AWD with 543 km (Zeekr 7X EU leaflet).

Chery: Chery, Omoda, Jaecoo (and Jetour)

Chery's group, including the Omoda and Jaecoo brands, registered 207,871 cars in Europe in January–August 2026 (ACEA). In Australia, Chery sold 4,205 vehicles and Omoda Jaecoo 2,310 in September 2026 (CarExpert). Their ranges include petrol, hybrid and electric models, so check the powertrain of any specific model.

Leapmotor

Leapmotor sells in Europe through a joint venture with Stellantis, with 73,297 registrations in January–August 2026 (ACEA). It also sells in Australia (146 sales in September 2026).

Others in Australia

GWM, GAC, Xpeng and Deepal also appear in Australia's September 2026 sales figures (CarExpert).

What this means for owners

  • Parts, service and software updates depend on the local distributor and dealer network, which differ by brand and country. Ask about service intervals, the nearest service centre and how software updates are delivered before you buy.
  • Battery chemistry varies between brands and even between versions of the same model. Your manual's charging advice is what counts.
  • Range figures are WLTP lab values. Expect less on the highway and in winter. See why range drops in winter.
  • Running costs depend on how you charge. Use our charging cost calculator with your own tariff and the model's consumption figure.

A note on the data

Sales figures change monthly, and lineups change with each model year. ACEA groups brands by parent company, and Australian VFACTS figures are reported by brand. We've stated the date of every figure. If you spot something outdated, email us at contact@xinlab.ccwu.cc.

Sources

Sources