By: Annemieke Bos, Erwin Rexwinkel
09 Nov 2026 5 min read
We are happy to provide you with new (international) insights in the areas of finance, business operations, strategy, governance, risk, compliance and more.
The shift in Europe is now clearly measurable. In 2025 the European Union imported 1,105,806 new vehicles from China, with a total value of 15.1 billion euros. Of these, 1,002,742 vehicles were passenger cars. That year, Chinese production accounted for 7 percent of all car sales in the European Union and 20 percent of sales of fully electric cars.
It is important to distinguish between Chinese brands and cars built in China. European and American brands also produce models in China. At the same time, Chinese manufacturers are opening production sites and entering into partnerships in Europe. An analysis that focuses solely on the country of origin of a brand therefore provides less and less insight into the real value chain.
The Netherlands is an interesting market for new entrants because electrification is relatively advanced here. In 2025 40.2 percent of newly registered passenger cars were fully electric and 45.3 percent hybrid. In August 2026, 770,453 fully electric passenger cars were on Dutch roads.
At the same time, the Dutch new car market remains relatively limited. The 388,024 registrations in 2025 were 1.7 percent above the 2024 level, but still below the average of more than 410,000 registrations per year in the previous fifteen years. New brands therefore need to win market share in a market that is not growing strongly in volume.
The available figures indicate growth, but not yet dominance. In the first eleven months of 2025, BYD registered 3,773 cars in the Netherlands, compared with 2,793 in the same period of 2024. Leapmotor grew from 40 to 1,021 registrations and Zeekr from 817 to 1,282. These figures show a clear acceleration, but remain limited compared to established volume brands. Since the definition of a ‘Chinese brand’ can vary, it is important that market shares are always published on the basis of a clear methodology.
Attention often focuses on the purchase price of Chinese vehicles. That is understandable but also too limited. Many new players combine battery technology, software, digital functions and vehicle development within shorter development cycles. As a result, they compete not only with a different product but also with a different way of organising.
For established market players, this development affects at least four parts of the business model.
New brands do not automatically choose the traditional model with an extensive independent dealer network. They combine their own sales channels, online orientation, agency models and a selective physical presence. For dealer holdings, this raises the question of what role they retain in the customer relationship and what investments are needed to build a new brand profitably.
Electric vehicles have fewer traditional moving parts than cars with combustion engines. CBS cites this as one possible explanation for the declining demand for certain car parts. At the same time, the service need is shifting towards software, electronics, batteries, diagnostics and digital updates.
Aftersales is therefore not disappearing but is changing in nature. Organisations must assess whether their workshops, employees and pricing models align with this new demand.
For leasing companies, financiers and dealers, brand acceptance is crucial for residual value. New brands often still have limited historical data on maintenance, reliability and demand in the used-car market. This makes risk assessments more complex and can have consequences for lease terms, warranty risks and financing conditions.
A low purchase price therefore does not automatically mean low total cost of ownership. The value of a vehicle is also determined by service capacity, parts availability, software support and confidence in the brand in the used-car market.
The European automotive industry is competing with players who bring new models and digital features to market more quickly. The European Commission has therefore drawn up an industrial action plan focused on innovation, digitalisation, skills, batteries and resilient value chains. The urgency lies not only in technology but also in the speed with which organisations can scale up technology.
For dealer holdings, the choice of a new brand is more than an expansion of the product range. It is an investment decision affecting location, staff, marketing, inventory, working capital and residual value risk.
For leasing companies, the challenge lies in building reliable data. Brand acceptance, battery quality, software support and demand in the used-car market determine whether an attractively priced vehicle remains competitive throughout its entire term.
For suppliers, both risks and opportunities arise. New OEMs can offer access to other international value chains but may also place different demands on price, scale, speed and intellectual property. A commercially attractive assignment must therefore also be assessed on contract terms, investment needs and dependency.
Chinese car brands do not need to dominate the Dutch market in the short term to change the playing field. Their presence increases pressure on product development, pricing, digital services and distribution. Established manufacturers will also respond to this.
The relevant question for Dutch organisations is therefore not only how many cars Chinese brands will sell next year. More importantly, which elements of their market approach could become the new standard.
Do not work with one general forecast for Chinese brands. Develop separate scenarios for brand acceptance, residual value, service demand, distribution and financing. This creates a more realistic picture of both commercial opportunities and associated risks.
Would you like to discuss these insights further? Get in touch with us.
Electrification is visible, but it represents only one part of the change within the automotive sector. Organisations must simultaneously invest in digitalisation, resilience, talent development, new business models and compliance.
European car manufacturers and suppliers are restructuring under the pressure of weakening demand, rising costs, electrification and increasing global competition. For Dutch companies that are part of international automotive supply chains, this is not a distant development.