Chinese passenger car brands captured a larger share of Europe's monthly new-car market than their Japanese counterparts for the first time in May, marking a milestone for China's automakers in the region, showed latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

People visit the booth of Chinese car brand Geely during the International Automobile and Tuning Show in Budapest, Hungary, March 13, 2026. (File photo: Xinhua)

Five major Chinese automakers — BYD, SAIC Motor, Geely, Chery and Leapmotor — sold a combined 138,410 vehicles across 31 European countries in May, up 65 percent year-on-year.

By comparison, six major Japanese automakers — Toyota, Nissan, Suzuki, Mazda, Honda and Mitsubishi Motors — sold 130,424 vehicles, down 3 percent from a year earlier.

Japanese newspaper Nikkei said Chinese automakers have continued to expand their footprint in Europe despite higher EU tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, supported by competitive pricing, rapid advances in electric vehicle technology and deeper localization.

The latest milestone is not an isolated case. Just a month earlier, Chinese passenger vehicles surpassed Japanese brands in monthly sales in South Korea's imported car market for the first time. Driven solely by BYD, sales of Chinese-made vehicles exceeded the combined total of Lexus, Toyota and Honda vehicles.