From January to August Chinese car exports to Europe increased 78%, with shipments of conventional and plug-in hybrids up 168%. The vague “understanding” between the European Commission and Chinese Ministry of Commerce will do nothing to change this trajectory. We estimate that in 2025 Chinese manufacturers had a market share of 13% of European car sales. If growth continues at the same pace through to the end of the year and all cars shipped get sold then the figure could be as high as 22% overall and over 50% for some categories like plug-in hybrids. That is remarkable considering that Chinese cars were essentially non-existent in Europe prior to 2021. This article discusses how the structure of the European car business has changed over the past decade and how Chinese imports are coming to dominate key segments. Includes an interactive dashboard on China’s car exports by market and vehicle category