China is here to stay and also in the engine. European car manufacturers have made public their concern about the increasingly intense trickle-down of Asian brands. Firms such as Aiways , Maxus, SWM, JAC, BYD or DFSK have already started selling in Spain and do not seem willing to let go of the intention of taking over the Old Continent. The alert is based on the data sent by the major employers' association in the sector. Anfac, reports Expansión , points out that imports of Chinese vehicles grew to stratospheric levels: 1,950% in 2022, up to 1,366 million euros. The CEO of Wallbox believes that Europe "is not up to par" with the US and China in terms of electric cars As a consequence, the Asian giant is now in fourth position by country, only behind the robust Germany, France and the Czech Republic. In fact, only in the last week, firms such as BYD and DFSK have announced their incorporation into Anfac as partners , which shows their clear intention to remain in the domestic market.
This situation has put European groups on their feet, demanding equal conditions in the face of the protectionist practices of China and, also, the United States. Bruno Mattucci, CEO of Nissan Iberia, points out that the Chinese strategy is known in the industry, as in the case of the Japanese groups in the 90s and the Koreans, with which they seek to gain market America Cell Phone Number List share with low prices. The president of Seat, Wayne Griffiths, during an interview with Expansión, shows his concern about a fact that may affect competitiveness and the development of electric cars in Europe. "We have to look at what is changing at a global level, for example, with the IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) in the US, which gives an important advantage to North American industry, or also with the Chinese Government's commitment to manufacturing electric cars and batteries. Europe needs an equivalent response ," he says.
This situation has been reached, Mattucci resumes, because Europe has "opened the doors" to Chinese companies, which are more advanced in electrification. Renault's Strategy Director, Josep María Recasens, explains that European brands are between "10 and 15 years" behind compared to Chinese brands when it comes to developing electric vehicle components. A vision that is not far from that held by Enric Asunción, CEO of Wallbox, who maintains that the delay in the implementation of electric cars is not something exclusive to Spain. He claims that Europe in general is far behind China and the US. "I think that Europe, compared to the bet that the United States and China are making, is lagging behind. We have the technology, the manufacturers, but more is needed, for Europe to support this from the point of view of the consumer and the manufacturer to lead in an electric vehicle.