20240508 Cover EU carmakers worry over Chinese imports img main

The car freighter BYD Explorer No. 1 brings 3,000 cars to Bremerhaven, Germany. Europe needs Chinese EVs if it is to meet its goal of banning combustion engines in 2035. © Getty Images

Europe faces up to China's EV dominance as carbon-zero targets loom

As Xi travels through EU this week, automakers weigh whether to fight or team up with cheaper Chinese rivals

PARIS/LONDON/FRANKFURT -- Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris on Sunday for the first leg of a continental tour aimed at easing trade tensions with an increasingly wary Europe.

Accompanied by a business delegation top heavy with the electric vehicle industry -- Envision Group, SAIC Motor and Xpeng Motors were just a few brand names -- it was as much a shopping trip for China as a speed-dating opportunity for European auto companies.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.