Chinese buyers were won over by Nio (NYSE:NIO) and BYD (BYDDF) for their svelte, intelligent electric cars that resembled Tesla automobiles. The true challenge will now be luring overseas automobile customers.
After beginning sales in Norway in 2021, two of the most well-known Chinese EV companies, BYD and Nio Stock, rapidly expanded in Europe. On September 28, BYD will host a significant event, and Nio will do the same on October 7. Numerous Chinese automakers that are entirely unknown in the West compete with cherished automotive names like Volkswagen.
According to Michael Dunne, CEO of the car consultancy ZoZoGo, “Chinese automakers feel ready to establish themselves worldwide for the first time.”
There are valid reasons for new assurance. Sales of electric vehicles manufactured in China by domestic businesses are soaring. Instead of being derided for their subpar construction, Chinese automobiles are now praised for their expert hardware, software, and EV technology integration.
Nio (Nio stock) and Other Chinese EV manufacturers see a huge opportunity
There are other reasons to go outside. In particular, EV firms like Nio (NYSE:NIO), Xpeng (XPEV), and Li Auto (LI) are keeping an eye on the capital markets in search of fresh funding to support their operations over the coming years.
They are still developing as new enterprises, according to Dunne, who spoke to Investor’s Business Daily. The message that funding communicates is, “We’re going worldwide, and we’re competing globally.”
The ambition of BYD, the world’s leading seller of EVs and plug-in hybrids and the largest seller of EVs in China, is to sell four million vehicles in 2023, or at least twice as many as are anticipated to be sold this year. It has to establish a solid presence in Europe to achieve this.
Europe presents a significant opportunity for Chinese EV manufacturers in general. China is the second-largest market for electric vehicles and is accessible to anyone. Compared to China, it has a more significant opportunity for expansion and is less intensely competitive.
BYD and Nio Stock are in the lead.
The worldwide bet made by Chinese EV businesses will be put to the test in the next year.
They are traveling to Europe with their newest and best models. They are doing roadshows to win over investors and EV customers.
On September 28, BYD will showcase its expanding array of EVs for Europe during a virtual event. The co-founders of Nio, who will have a similar event on October 7 in Berlin, are presently traveling around Europe in, you guessed it, a Nio electric vehicle.
But throughout much of the Continent, Chinese automakers lack brand awareness and past expertise. And Europeans, mainly Germans, have strong brand loyalty to companies like Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.
“It’s difficult going. Customers must be convinced to trust these relatively new Chinese businesses before they part with their money, “added Dunne.
Even American, Japanese, and Korean automakers have had trouble breaking into the European market. After years of losses, General Motors (GM) left Europe in 2017, while Ford (F) reduced its presence there.
For new competitors, “it’s a challenging market to penetrate,” said Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu. Tesla could be the rare instance.
VW is ahead of Tesla In Europe; Tesla dominated the EV industry until 2019 when it began to lose ground. According to Schmidt Automotive Research, its 14% percent of sales in 2021 failed to match those of Stellantis (STLA), the owner of Fiat, which had a 14% share and fell short of the 25% share held by the Volkswagen Group.
Tesla may be able to gain momentum with a new facility in Berlin. However, Tesla is battling Hyundai-Kia for the third position, followed closely by BMW and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. With innovative new models like the Ioniq 5, a purpose-built electric car, Korea’s Hyundai-Kia has increased its market share throughout the EV transition in Europe.
Even while established automakers are transitioning to electric vehicles, a large portion of their current business is still dependent on gas and diesel vehicles, making them a less intimidating target for China’s EV manufacturers.
Growing EV Manufacturers in China In Europe
According to Schmidt, a Berlin-based company, China’s EV manufacturers, led by Geely and SAIC, sold 37,700 all-electric vehicles in Europe over the first seven months of 2022, increasing their market share to 5%.
Nearly 90% of EV sales were made by SAIC’s MG brand and Geely’s Polestar 2. Companies like BYD, FAW Group, Nio, Xpeng, and Aiways, which each sold over a thousand units or just a few hundred, made up the remainder.
Some others have described that as a sluggish or unsatisfactory start. Analysts, though, offered IBD a nuanced perspective.
They predicted a gradual climb. The Covid lockdowns in their nation caused supply delays for China’s EV manufacturers. In Europe, dealer networks are now being formed. There isn’t a significant gap to fill, so they’re bringing their finest EVs across.
Yu does not anticipate significant sales growth for Nio any time soon despite its premium branding.
As opposed to pumping out as much volume as possible, he remarked, “it’s far more about developing the brand.”
In fact, Chinese companies have stated that they consider Europe to be a long game and expect any rewards to take ten years.
They have the means to wait. Beijing and the Chinese auto industry share an aim to dominate the EV market globally.
China will likely go above and beyond to succeed abroad, according to ZoZoGo’s Dunne. He used the example of government subsidies to keep firms open.
China’s EV Sales Will Increase in Europe
In order to overcome a sluggish start in 2022, Schmidt Automotive Research anticipates a significant push from Chinese EV manufacturers. The company projects that Chinese OEMs will sell 80,000 to 90,000 all-electric vehicles in Europe for the entire year.
According to Schmidt, Chinese OEMs anticipate a rise in deliveries as supply constraints relax. The production capacity of both Nio and Xpeng has increased in China. If BYD delivers more models to more European markets, it might significantly improve its share despite having greatly increased real output in 2022.
According to Schmidt, volume brands like BYD are collaborating with regional dealers and may provide additional opportunities. Premium companies, in contrast, prefer direct customer sales but also provide unique benefits such as club-like Nio Houses and battery exchange stations.
The Future of China’s EV Stocks
Norway is the pilot market from which BYD and Nio are both growing. Throughout the fourth quarter, deliveries are expected to start in most of Europe.
BYD now sells the Tang SUV and will soon introduce the Han sedan and the tiny crossover Yuan Plus, which is sold in most international markets under the name Atto 3.
At its European launch event, Nio will showcase its 2022 vehicles, including the opulent ET7 sedan, ES7 crossover, and Model 3 challenger ET5. Only the ET7 has been delivered in large quantities to Europe thus far. They will combine with the aging ES8 SUV.
The recently introduced Xpeng G9 SUV will join its three stablemates that are already being offered in Norway.
There will soon be many more new entrants. They consist of the luxury Zeekr 001 crossover from Geely, due in 2023. The majority of efforts currently target the middle or high end, but when Great Wall Motors’ Ora brand debuts by year’s end, it may expand the market to the mainstream market.
Europe is but a portion of BYD’s massive worldwide development. The Chinese EV and battery juggernaut have invaded Australia, New Zealand, India, and a number of other Asian markets. Additionally, it is stepping up in Latin America, and it will debut in Japan in early 2023.
EV Market in Europe: A “Wild Card”
Overall, Europe is still “a bit of a wild card,” according to Yu of Deutsche Bank.
Several venerable Western car titans and Tesla essentially compete against one another for its EV market.
When additional alternatives become available, Yu continued, it’s uncertain “how the market dynamics will play out.” Or whether Chinese EV entrepreneurs would enjoy the same positive reception in Europe as they do in China.
Both Nio stock and Xpeng are rated as buy by the analyst, who anticipates an increase in sales as markets and model numbers rise, and supply constraints relax.
According to experts, China’s EV companies will set themselves apart through technology. Their software integration for phones, cars, and charging infrastructure particularly impresses Yu.
“A Case Study of Tesla”
The regional emissions plan may have been a factor in how established manufacturers in Europe linked their EV procurement process. That gives competitors a chance to attack.
Up until 2025, when the next, tougher EU fleetwide carbon-dioxide emissions cut is expected to go into force, market observers anticipate that European OEMs will only offer a small number of EV models. While the incumbents work hard to produce traditional combustion vehicles to pay for their electric future, many of their present electric models are sold out or have long waiting lists.
According to researcher Matthias Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive Research, “the Chinese have a two- to three-year window to profit on.” He anticipates the incumbents to switch to electric vehicles more quickly starting in 2025.
Schmidt cited Tesla as a case study. Taking advantage of the incumbents’ lack of EV readiness, he said that Tesla “established a grasp on the market before 2020,” when a prior reduction was implemented.
The Nio stock is attempting to bottom out, but it has fallen since it crossed over its 200-day line in mid-September. The BYD stock is close to four-month lows. After falling in early September as Warren Buffett sold a sizable piece of Berkshire Hathaway’s substantial and long-standing interest in the EV manufacturer, it is now trying to recover.
Although Tesla stock has a bottoming foundation as well, the latest market sell-off caused it to recently cross below its 50-day and 200-day lines.
Featured Image: Megapixl © Timonschneider
Author Valerie Remorosa 
