China industry & products

Chinese vehicles gain ground in Europe: the next opportunity for product compliance

2026-10-13 · Maggie Lee · Mingzhu Zou

Chinese manufacturers offer opportunities beyond vehicles. European specialists can help turn product strength into practical market-entry projects.

Chinese car brands are attracting growing attention in Europe. ACEA reports that BYD registered 174,144 new passenger cars in the EU, EFTA and UK in the first half of 2026, up 145.5% year on year, compared with Tesla’s 170,351. This compares total brand registrations, not battery-electric vehicles alone.

The change is visible on the road, too. A contact working in China–Europe trade in Central and Eastern Europe described a Chinese hybrid SUV drawing attention at a Slovenian tourist destination. According to its owner, the family had travelled more than 1,500 kilometres from a neighbouring country after filling the tank and charging the battery, taking turns at the wheel.

In our conversations with European dealers and industry contacts, Chinese new-energy vehicles have prompted considerable interest. Price, energy use and quality are factors they highlight in assessing the proposition for ordinary households.

Why are other good products still hesitant to enter Europe?

Vehicles are only the beginning. Discussions point to manufacturers whose products have already reached the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, but who remain uncertain about European requirements, liability and recall exposure.

Motorhomes, mobile residences and prefabricated buildings illustrate the challenge. Manufacturers need clarity on the route for the complete product and the evidence for its materials and components. Some established manufacturers rely on trading intermediaries without a team familiar with European requirements.

What Nexus can contribute

Nexus means a connection or link. We aim to act as a bridge between Chinese manufacturers and European expertise, focusing on the work needed before market entry:

AI governance: risk classification and compliance preparation for relevant AI products and services.

Data protection and cybersecurity: distinguish privacy, data-use and product-security requirements for cameras, connected vehicles and intelligent devices.

Product conformity and safety: identify whether CE marking, vehicle type approval or another route applies, and coordinate appropriate testing, documentation and assessment.

Consumer protection and product liability: identify risks early and coordinate responsibility and after-sales arrangements.

With our Belgian team as a collaboration point, we are developing specialist relationships in the UK and across Europe. The aim is to bring requirements into product design and entry planning early, giving manufacturers practical advice and adaptation options before problems arise.

The next wave of Chinese products entering Europe need not be vehicles alone. Intelligent robotics, motorhomes, mobile living and modular buildings offer further areas for technical and commercial cooperation.

Nexus connects client requirements with European specialists, organising market entry, responsibilities and local operations into clear work packages with agreed budgets and timetables.

Product compliance. European operations.

Standards earn trust. Trust goes the distance.