Specific Description

United Kingdom

Dominic Johnson, the Minister of State for Investment at the UK Department for International Trade, expressed his hope to strengthen cooperation with China in the field of electric vehicles during the recent UK Global Investment Summit. He warmly welcomes Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers to invest and establish factories in the UK.

In terms of electric vehicles, Chinese and European companies are increasingly demonstrating a closer collaborative relationship. In 2023, BYD’s ATTO 3 was selected as this year’s Best Electric Vehicle by a British news company. Currently, BYD is working together with the largest bus manufacturer in the UK, British electric vehicle enterprises, and energy companies to jointly promote green transportation development in Britain.

Finland

The climate conditions in Finland require the transportation system to operate smoothly even during the harshest winter,” said Ville Uusi-Lauva, Project Manager of Electric Buses at Helsinki Regional Transport Authority in Finland. “Winter temperatures pose a challenge for batteries as they must be able to function at outdoor temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.”

Chinese electric vehicle brands have successfully passed this test. Uusi-Lauva stated that currently, 80% of the electric buses serving the Helsinki Regional Transport Authority are made in China, with a majority from Yutong and some from BYD.

Win-win

While Chinese electric cars are entering the European market, sales of European electric cars in China are also increasing. According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, China is the third-largest export market for the EU, following only the UK and the US. A report released by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China shows that in 2022, EU exports to China of pure electric passenger vehicles increased by 151% compared to the previous year.

The Western electric car brands assembling their vehicles in China and sourcing many raw materials and components reflect a major trend of supply chain cooperation. In particular, there is close collaboration between Chinese and European companies in battery production, which is considered as the “heart” of electric vehicles.

Currently, more than half of global top ten power battery sales come from Chinese enterprises. At a German-Chinese automotive conference held in October this year, Dr. Dudenhoeffer, Director of Germany’s Automotive Research Center stated that Europe has a huge demand for Chinese battery technology with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and other automakers all requiring batteries produced in China.

Factory construction

CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd.) and other Chinese companies are actively expanding their presence in Europe by establishing power battery factories. Meanwhile, European car manufacturers are also joining the trend of investing in battery projects in China. Huachen BMW’s 6th generation power battery project, with an investment of 10 billion yuan, officially reached its peak on November 22nd in Shenyang with the completion of all main structures.

In the field of complete vehicles, Audi’s FAW New Energy project located in Changchun, Jilin Province is currently under intensive construction with a total investment exceeding 35 billion yuan. Volkswagen’s electric vehicle factory located in Hefei, Anhui Province is preparing for production. Ralph Brandstätter, Chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Group (China), stated that this project will play a crucial strategic role as Volkswagen transitions towards intelligent connected vehicles.

The EV Cooperation between China and Europe is continuously deepening. With major automakers already selling electric cars, the electric vehicle industry has a huge market. Europe boasts numerous well-established car manufacturers, while China leads the emerging electric vehicle industry. The collaboration between these two will revolutionize the electric vehicle sector.