sell more cars than Citroën in Europe

It is no secret that Chinese car brands They are conquering Europe. For a few years now, the streets have been filled with cars from companies such as BYD, Omoda, Jaecoo, Leapmotor, MG and many others. And it makes perfect sense, since they have come with their entire arsenal at truly competitive prices and loaded with technology. You have to go to last review of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) to really see how much they have achieved in a very short time. And in the case of BYD, the firm has registered more cars than Citroën during the month of May in Europe (specifically in the group formed by the European Union, the EFTA countries and the United Kingdom). According to the agency’s data, the Chinese manufacturer registered 32,380 units compared to 31,665 for Citroën. The difference is small, but it has symbolic weight, since it is the first time that a Chinese brand overtakes such a historic name in European motorsport. In detail. He BYD growth It is being truly groundbreaking, especially outside its domestic market. And in May of this year, its registrations shot up by 136.6% compared to the same month in 2025, raising its market share in the EU+EFTA+UK region to 2.8%, compared to 1.2% a year ago. Citroën, on the other hand, closed the month with a decline of 1.6%. Of course, it should be said that the bypass occurs in the EU+EFTA+UK region, because if we look only at the figures for the European Union, Citroën is still ahead, with 29,227 registrations compared to BYD’s 26,017. But the distance has shortened considerably compared to last year. The driving force behind this expansion has been above all in Italy, France and Germany, where BYD has multiplied its sales, while in the first five months of the year the Chinese brand already has 135,307 cars registered in this region, 145.2% more than in 2025. And BYD is not the only one. Chinese brands as a whole reached a market share of 10.7% in Europe in May, their all-time high, according to data from Automotive News. Chery has skyrocketed its registrations by 244.1% and Leapmotor, backed by Stellantis, has multiplied them by more than five, with a growth of 465.1% in the EU+EFTA+UK region. Even Tesla, although it is not Chinese, has benefited from that same push towards electrification, with an increase of 107.9% thanks to the arrival of the new Standard versions of the Model 3 and the Model Y. Although the tariffs that the European Union imposed on Chinese electric companies in 2024, something that has partially stopped this offensive, Chinese brands continue with overwhelming growth. And now what. The context in which this surprise occurs is that of a European market in full transition towards electrification. According to ACEA data, between January and May 2026, battery electric cars already represent 20% of registrations in the European Union, compared to 15.3% a year ago, while hybrids continue to be the most popular option with 37.8% of the market (in the latter it must be taken into account that the microhybridswith more prominence of the gasoline engine than the small battery as a whole). On the other hand, the sum of gasoline and diesel has fallen to 30.1%. And on this board, increasingly favorable to electrified vehicles, BYD and the rest of the Chinese manufacturers have an advantage due to their specialization in these technologies. Cover image | BYD and Citroën In Xataka | On July 1, buying on Shein, Temu or AliExpress will be more expensive: Europe imposes a fixed tariff of three euros for small packages

a new Citroën 2 CV arrives

The rumors started months ago but it was not until this morning that Stellantis confirmed the return of the Citroën 2 CV. The automotive conglomerate has barely given details of the launch and has only scheduled us for October 2026 when they will reveal more information at the Paris Motor Show. The information also comes one day after the company presents its future plans for the coming years. One that has put Citroën at the center of its strategy for Europe. The confirmation. Our colleagues pointed out Motorpassion Last January, Citroën was preparing the return of the Citroën 2 CV. It was information that seemed almost confirmed after Coach They will speak with the French design team. Now it is Stellantis itself that has ended up revealing the project. In its statement, Citroën tells us that it will not be until October when we will have new news but it does give some interesting clues about what we can expect from this new Citroën 2 CV. A new category. In the press release, Stellantis points out that this new vehicle is “designed to meet the challenges of electric mobility and new urban regulations, it will contribute to the emergence of a new category of affordable small electric vehicles, which offer greater freedom of movement without giving up personality or attractiveness.” Everything seems to indicate that Stellantis wants to fully enter what is known as E-Car, a new category that is yet to be fully defined. The intention of the European regulators is that, in the style of the kei car Japanese, we have more affordable electric cars available. The idea is to have an intermediate category between the heavy quadricycle and the tourism, limited to 4.1 meters long. It has been spokenfor example, to make some regulations more flexible such as current security requirements or to give an outlet to the new license at 17 years old to drive “light” cars before making the jump to the current B1 license that allows driving cars with a maximum authorized mass of up to 3,500 kg. It has also been put on the table that manufacturing will have to be European or, at least, a relevant part of its components, such as batteries. Gasoline? This reference to the supposed new European category raises the question of whether the next Citroën 2 CV will have gasoline versions or will be purely electric. In recent years, Stellantis has opted for multi-energy platforms but we must remember that From 2027 emissions limits will be tightened and selling small cars with combustion engines will be much more expensive. Putting an electric car on the road with reduced dimensions and price will allow Citroën to reduce global emissions within the company. However, registering cars with a combustion engine would lead you to have to redouble your electric sales efforts, which may not compensate. Nor is it a coincidence that the statement mentions that the new 2 CV is “designed to make mobility accessible to everyone (…) in a world that seeks, once again, more accessible and relevant mobility solutions.” That “relevant” seems to underline the idea of ​​the path that Europe has taken towards zero emissions in its cities. Exploiting nostalgia. The Citroën 2 CV is another example of how the automobile industry seems to have remained anchored in nostalgia, although Stellantis tries to distance itself by ensuring that the new model will be “inspired by the spirit of the original, and not by nostalgia.” The truth is that The electric car has brought a certain flavor of the past to try to convince us to jump to a technology that, purely irrational, is not as attractive as the combustion engine. The Renault 4 and Renault 5 They are a good example but it has also been put on the table bring back the Opel Manta in electric format and Volkswagen has readapted its legendary Transporter to the ID. Buzz. And it makes sense. It must be taken into account that an electric car, especially in the city, has many advantages over a combustion car. Matching technologies, electric has lower energy consumption than combustion in a city. Its cost is very lower and the risk of breakdown is also lower. And although savings are always a good incentive to buy a car, it is also a less attractive purchase argument when it comes to exciting the customer. Because when it comes to buying a car, the irrational still weighs heavily. It is no coincidence that car advertisements continue to appeal to emotions. Aesthetics weigh heavily in this and a good reinterpretation like Renault’s can be key to attracting the public that has money right now. That is to say, those who can miss the most the Renault 4, the Renault 5 or the Citroën 2 CV. Stellantis’ plans. Stellantis’ move also fits perfectly with what was announced yesterday by Antonio Filosa, its CEO after the departure of Carlos Tavares. The automobile conglomerate pointed out that iThey will invest 60 billion euros until 2030 and pointed to a multipolarized future where the strategy for the United States will distance itself from the European one. This will be carried out through a reorganization of its 14 brands. Dodge and Jeep will set the pace in the United States and in Europe Fiat and Peugeot will do so. These two companies are clearly segmented by price and everything indicates that they will be the first to launch models on the market and then reach other companies with modified body formats. With these first steps it seems that Citroën will be focused on being the most affordable company, the gateway to the conglomerate to differentiate itself a little from Fiat, which has also targeted the low-end range in recent years. The new vehicle also seems to allow them to compete at a much lower price than the Renault 5 to steal sales, an electric urban car that, on the contrary, has focused on the details in a car designed with … Read more

China has shown that the good and cheap electric car exists. So Citröen has had to get its act together

China is doing very well with the cheap electric car. And if not, tell them BYD Dolphin Surfa 100% electric vehicle that the company finances at just over 3% for 125 euros per month. Without financing it costs 19,990 euros which, after aid, can become 11,780 euros. Saving exceptions like Dacia Springwhich compete in a much lower league, Western manufacturers have no choice but to respond. And Citröen has been the first to do so. 11,700 euros. Citroen has been lowering the price of its ë-C3 for more than a yeara car that was launched on the market for more than 20,000 euros and that, since its launch, has been reduced by almost half. Now, after aid, the Citröen C3 costs 11,700 euros, with an eight-year warranty. What it offers. With a price practically identical to the Dolphin Surf, an almost identical autonomy (220 km under the WLTP cycle), and a technology relatively similar to that of the Chinese alternative, we are finally talking about a price at which the company can be competitive. What China offers. Both vehicles, in their most economical version, have LFP batteries. The main difference is in the charging system: 65 kW for the BYD and 30 kW for the Citröen. The key, however, is not in the specs: it is that BYD has been offering a competitive price since its arrival in Spain, which has catapulted it into the top 3 of the best-selling electric cars in the country. Beyond Tesla. There is no electric car that sells more than the Model 3 in Spain. This is to be expected, given the reliability, range and price of the vehicle. Just below Tesla, we have the BYD Dolphin Surf, which has sold more than 1,332 units so far this year (compared to 2,489 for the Model 3 and 2,023 for the Model Y). Taking into account that they play in completely different leagues, the BYD case is a resounding success. A purely urban car that sells practically twice as much as its direct rivals. The electric C3 has 634 units sold, placing it in the top 9. The ranking points to something very clear: the price is the main purchasing factor for the Spanish electric companyand Western manufacturers will have to tighten their grip if they want to compete with China. In Xataka | The electric cars with the most autonomy that can be bought in 2026

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