Chinese brands take a third of Paris Motor Show as VW CEO urges Europe to unite
About 20 Chinese automakers, including BYD, Chery, Geely, Changan, Li Auto, AITO and Avatr, are exhibiting at the 2026 Paris Motor Show — double the 2024 figure and roughly one third of the fair's some 60 vehicle brands, according to a Reuters tally. BMW, MINI and Porsche are absent, while Volkswagen, back after eight years, held a "For Europe" event where its group CEO publicly urged France and Germany to cooperate against Chinese competition. Li Auto said it will launch the Li 6 in the Netherlands and Norway in Q1 2027, AITO plans to enter Europe in autumn 2027, and Volkswagen's China deliveries fell about 30.2% year on year in the first three quarters to roughly 1.379 million units. Europe also plans to cap annual Chinese hybrid vehicle imports at 350,000 units, rising 6% per year.
It illustrates the shifting balance of power between Chinese and European automakers, mainly relevant to the auto and supply-chain sectors rather than AI.