Chinese cars in France: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
France is the least penetrated of Europe's big five markets for Chinese brands, and that is largely by design. Chinese marques took 54,941 registrations in 2025, up from 31,045 in 2024, but that was only 3.4% of the total market and 5.7% of battery-electric registrations. MG led with 33,729, BYD followed with 13,532 and Xpeng managed 3,313. Fourteen Chinese brands were being distributed in France by the first half of 2026, when their combined share reached 4.7%.
The policy backdrop is unusually specific. France voted in favour of the EU's anti-subsidy duties on 4 October 2024, and it also runs a purchase incentive that Chinese-built cars struggle to qualify for. Since 2024 the bonus écologique has been gated by an environmental score covering the whole upstream footprint of a car — manufacturing, materials, battery chemistry and transport to France — which in practice excludes vehicles shipped from China. An order of 23 January 2025 tightened the rule so that the score follows the actual manufacturing site rather than the final assembly site, closing the route of shipping Chinese-built parts for token assembly in Europe. The China-built Dacia Spring, a French-brand car, is itself ineligible.
Chinese capital is nonetheless building in France. Envision AESC, a battery subsidiary of the Shanghai-based Envision Group, inaugurated a gigafactory at Douai on 3 June 2025 with an initial 10 GWh a year, supplying Renault's neighbouring ElectriCity plants.
Paris was also the stage for two of the era's set pieces: BYD's European passenger-car range was unveiled at the 2022 Paris show, and BYD launched its premium Denza brand at the Palais Garnier on 8 April 2026.
At a glance
| Country code | FR |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 19 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 1 |
| Models on this site | 10 |
Brands sold in France
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 名爵MG | Sold | 2019 | The company itself | France was one of the first three continental markets, with the Netherlands and Norway, when MG Motor Europe began sales in late 2019. 33,729 registrations in 2025 and 16,417 in the first half of 2026. |
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | 2023 | The company itself | BYD announced France at the Paris show in October 2022 and opened its first French dealership, in Rennes, in 2023. 5,415 registrations in 2024, 13,532 in 2025 and 13,536 in the first half of 2026 alone. |
| 零跑Leapmotor | Sold | September 2024 | A joint venture | One of the nine European launch countries for Leapmotor International from September 2024. |
| 小鹏Xpeng | Sold | 2024 | An independent importer | Xpeng named France, Italy and the UK as the markets to follow its March 2024 German launch. 3,313 registrations in 2025 and 3,288 in the first half of 2026, up 126.8%, mostly the G6. |
| 欧萌达Omoda | Sold | September 2025 | The company itself | Chery announced the French launch of Omoda and Jaecoo alongside Germany at IAA Mobility in September 2025. Take-up has been slow: only 128 Omodas had been registered by mid-2026. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Sold | September 2025 | The company itself | Launched alongside Omoda; among the fourteen Chinese brands distributed in France in the first half of 2026. |
| 极氪Zeekr | Sold | 2026 | The company itself | Zeekr named France as its next market after completing first German deliveries in March 2026, and appears in French registration data for the first half of 2026. |
| 领克Lynk & Co | Sold | not published | The company itself | Among the fourteen Chinese brands distributed in France in the first half of 2026; entry date not established in this pass. Lynk & Co became a subsidiary of Zeekr in February 2025. |
| 吉利Geely | Sold | not published | The company itself | Geely's own marque appears in French registration data in the first half of 2026; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 红旗Hongqi | Sold | not published | An independent importer | FAW's Hongqi appears in French registration data in the first half of 2026; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 埃安Aion | Sold | not published | An independent importer | GAC's Aion appears in French registration data in the first half of 2026; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 东风Dongfeng | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Among the fourteen Chinese brands distributed in France in the first half of 2026; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 开沃Skywell | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Listed in French registration data as Skyworth/Skywell; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 腾势Denza | Sold | April 2026 | The company itself | BYD launched Denza in Europe at the Palais Garnier in Paris on 8 April 2026, with France among the first sales countries. |
| 极星Polestar | Sold | 2020 | The company itself | |
| 沃尔沃Volvo Cars | Sold | not published | The company itself | Geely Holding has owned Volvo Cars since 2010; French entry long predates that. |
| 智马达smart | Sold | not published | The company itself | A 50/50 Mercedes-Benz–Geely Holding joint venture since 2020; the #1 and #3 are built at Xi'an. |
| 路特斯Lotus | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Geely Holding has held a controlling stake since 2017. |
| 爱驰Aiways | Withdrawn | 2020 | An independent importer | Aiways began European sales in 2020; production in China stopped in the summer of 2023 and the company withdrew from its home market in 2024. Residual registrations still appear in French data. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU import duty on cars | The European Union's standard most-favoured-nation duty on imported passenger cars is 10%. Any countervailing duty is charged on top of it. | European Commission, Access2Markets | |
| Countervailing duties on China-built battery electric cars | Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 of 29 October 2024 imposed definitive countervailing duties on new battery electric vehicles for the transport of persons originating in China, applicable from 30 October 2024 for five years. The rates are: BYD Group 17.0%, Geely Group 18.8%, SAIC Group 35.3%, Tesla (Shanghai) 7.8% following an individual examination, other cooperating companies 20.7%, and all other non-cooperating companies 35.3%. | European Commission, Access2Markets | |
| Price undertakings as an alternative to the duties | On 12 January 2026 the European Commission published guidance on how Chinese exporters may offer a price undertaking instead of paying the duty, covering the minimum import price, sales channels, cross-compensation, annual volume caps and future investment in the EU. | European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security | |
| First accepted price undertaking | On 10 February 2026 the Commission accepted a price undertaking from Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company Ltd. covering the Cupra Tavascan, in exchange for a minimum import price, a volume limit and defined EU investment milestones. The duties remain in force for every other exporter. | European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security | |
| France's vote on the duties | France voted in favour of the definitive countervailing duties in the member-state vote of 4 October 2024, in which ten states supported the measure, twelve abstained and five voted against. | European Council on Foreign Relations | |
| Environmental score gating the purchase bonus | Since 2024 eligibility for the bonus écologique has depended on an environmental score covering a car's whole upstream footprint — manufacture, origin of materials, battery production and chemistry, and transport to France — which in practice excludes cars shipped from China. An order of 23 January 2025, published in the Journal officiel on 24 January 2025, tightened the calculation so that the score follows the site of actual manufacture rather than the site of final assembly, closing the route of assembling Chinese-built vehicles in Europe. The China-built Dacia Spring is among the models that do not qualify. | L'Argus |
Chinese-owned plants in France
| Owner | Location | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Envision Aesc | Douai, Hauts-de-France — AESC battery gigafactory | 3 June 2025 | AESC, the battery arm of the Shanghai-based Envision Group, inaugurated the plant on 3 June 2025 with an initial 10 GWh a year — enough for about 200,000 electric cars — supplying Renault's ElectriCity sites at Douai, Maubeuge and Ruitz. Around 650 jobs. This is a battery plant, not a car plant; there is no Chinese-owned car factory in France. |
Western badges built in China and sold in France
| Model | Badge | Plant | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Dacia | Shiyan, Hubei | 2021–present | Built by the Renault–Dongfeng–Nissan joint venture. Because it is made in China it does not qualify for the French purchase bonus. |
| C5 X | Citroën | Chengdu, Sichuan | 2022–present | Built only in China, for all markets. |
| Tavascan | Cupra | Volkswagen Anhui, Hefei | 2024–present | Covered by the EU price undertaking accepted on 10 February 2026. |
| Cooper Electric and Aceman | Mini | Spotlight Automotive, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu | 2023–present | |
| Model 3 | Tesla | Gigafactory Shanghai | 2021–present | The Model Y sold in Europe comes from Berlin-Brandenburg. Start year for Shanghai supply not confirmed from a primary source. |
| EX30 | Volvo | Zhangjiakou, Hebei; also Ghent, Belgium from April 2025 | 2023–present | |
| S90 | Volvo | Daqing, Heilongjiang | 2018–present | |
| Polestar 2, 3 and 4 | Polestar | Luqiao, Chengdu and Ningbo | 2020–present | |
| #1 and #3 | smart | Xi'an, Shaanxi | 2023–present | |
| Eletre and Emeya | Lotus | Wuhan, Hubei | 2023–present |
BMW iX3 (G08) · Citroen C5 X · Cupra Tavascan · Dacia Spring · DS Automobiles DS 9 · Honda e:Ny1 · Lotus Eletre · Lotus Emeya · Mazda 6e · MG MG3 · MG MG4 EV · Mini Cooper E / Cooper SE (J01) · Polestar Polestar 2 · smart #1 · Tesla Model 3 · Volvo EX30
Models recorded in France
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| IM Motors IM5 | Saloon | Sold | 490 km WLTP |
| IM Motors IM6 | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| LEVC TX | MPV | Sold | 109 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| MG MG3 | Hatchback | Sold | not published |
| MG MG4 | Hatchback | Sold | 437 km CLTC |
| MG MG5 | Saloon | Withdrawn | 320 km WLTP |
| MG MG Cyberster | Coupé | Sold | 507 km WLTP |
| MG MG HS | SUV | Sold | 135 km NEDC |
| MG MG S5 EV | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| MG MG ZS | Crossover | Sold | 263 km WLTP |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG | MG | 2025 | Brand total: 33,729 registrations, the leading Chinese brand in France. |
| BYD | BYD | 2025 | Brand total: 13,532 registrations, up from 5,415 in 2024. |
| Xpeng | Xpeng | 2025 | Brand total: 3,313 registrations, mostly the G6. |
| MG | MG | 2026 | 16,417 registrations in the first half of 2026, still ahead of BYD's 13,536. |
| Xpeng G6 | Xpeng | 2026 | Xpeng's volume in France is carried by the G6; the brand grew 126.8% to 3,288 registrations in the first half of 2026. |
Chinese cars in France: questions people ask
- How well do Chinese brands sell in France?
- Less well than elsewhere in western Europe. Chinese brands took 54,941 registrations in 2025 — 3.4% of the market and 5.7% of battery-electric sales — against 10.2% in Spain and 8.4% in Italy. By the first half of 2026 their combined share had reached 4.7% across fourteen brands.
- Why do Chinese electric cars miss out on the French purchase bonus?
- Because eligibility for the bonus écologique depends on an environmental score that counts manufacturing, materials, battery production and shipping to France. Cars built in China score too low to qualify. An order of 23 January 2025 tightened the rule further so that the score follows the actual manufacturing site, not the final assembly site.
- Is the Dacia Spring made in China?
- Yes. The Spring is built at Shiyan in Hubei by the Renault–Dongfeng–Nissan joint venture. Because of that it does not qualify for the French purchase bonus, despite carrying a French brand.
- How did France vote on the EU tariffs?
- France voted in favour of the definitive countervailing duties on 4 October 2024. Ten member states supported the measure, twelve abstained and five — including Germany — voted against.
- Are there Chinese car factories in France?
- No car factories. There is a Chinese-owned battery plant: AESC, part of the Shanghai-based Envision Group, opened a gigafactory at Douai on 3 June 2025 with an initial 10 GWh a year, supplying Renault's nearby electric-car plants.
- Which Chinese brands are sold in France?
- MG, BYD, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Geely, Omoda, Lynk & Co, Skywell, Zeekr, Aion, Hongqi, Dongfeng and Denza, plus Aiways as a residual presence. Polestar, Volvo, smart and Lotus are Western marques under Chinese ownership or joint ownership.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
BYD launches its Denza brand in Europe at the Palais Garnier in Paris, with France among the first sales countries.
-
The Commission accepts the first price undertaking, from Volkswagen (Anhui) for the Cupra Tavascan.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security
-
The European Commission publishes guidance on price undertakings as an alternative to the duties.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security
-
Chery announces the French launch of Omoda and Jaecoo alongside Germany at IAA Mobility.
-
AESC, the battery arm of China's Envision Group, inaugurates its Douai gigafactory, initially 10 GWh a year, supplying Renault.
-
An order tightening the environmental-score calculation is signed, making the score follow the actual manufacturing site rather than the final assembly site; published in the Journal officiel on 24 January 2025.
-
France votes in favour of the EU's definitive countervailing duties on Chinese battery electric cars.
-
Leapmotor International begins sales in France, one of nine European launch countries.
-
France's environmental-score condition on the bonus écologique takes effect, excluding cars shipped from China from the purchase incentive.
-
BYD unveils its European passenger-car range at the Paris Motor Show, naming France among the countries to follow the first delivery wave.
-
MG Motor Europe begins continental sales, with France among its first three markets alongside the Netherlands and Norway.
Related
Sources for France
- Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex), Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 of 29 October 2024. Read . The legal instrument; Article 1 carries the company-by-company rates.
- European Commission, Access2Markets, EU Commission imposes countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China. Read . Per-company rates, application date and duration.
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, Commission issues Guidance Document on submission of price undertaking offers for battery electric vehicles from China. Read .
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, Commission accepts price undertaking from Chinese electric car producer. Read .
- European Council on Foreign Relations, Divided we stand: The EU votes on Chinese electric vehicle tariffs. Read . The 4 October 2024 tally and France's vote in favour.
- L'Argus, Bonus écologique : comment l'État français veut durcir les critères face aux chinois. Read . The environmental-score rules and the order of 23 January 2025 shifting the test to the site of manufacture.
- MG Motor Europe, MG expands in Europe: where are we for sale and where soon?. Read . MG's own account of its European market rollout from late 2019.
- Stellantis N.V., Leapmotor International Begins Operations to Expand Global Electric Vehicle Sales Starting September 2024 in Nine European Countries. Read .
- BYD Europe (via Business Wire), BYD Announces Pre-sale Prices of European Passenger Car Range. Read . The October 2022 Paris show launch and the first delivery countries, with France and the UK named for later that year.
- electrive.com, AESC kicks off battery production at Douai gigafactory. Read .
- Automotive News Europe (via Yahoo), Fast-growing Chery brands Omoda and Jaecoo expand Europe push to nine markets. Read .
- CnEVPost, Denza enters European market as BYD debuts flash charging tech in Paris. Read .
- Journal de l'Automobile, Les marques chinoises pèsent déjà 4,7 % du marché français. Read . The fourteen Chinese brands distributed in France and their combined first-half 2026 share.
- iTransports, BYD, MG, Xpeng… les vrais chiffres de l'échec chinois en France. Read . Brand-level 2025 French registration figures.
- Plateforme Automobile (PFA), Publications statistiques. Read . The French industry body's statistics hub. The page returned HTTP 403 to this pass, so the French figures here come from trade-press reporting of the registration data rather than from PFA directly.