China’s EV export shipments soar as Asia and Europe snap up Chinese electric cars

China’s electric vehicle (EV) makers are quickly becoming a force to reckon with around the world. In November alone, overseas shipments of Chinese-made EVs jumped 87% from a year earlier — a clear sign that demand is accelerating well beyond China’s borders.

Asia continued to lead the way. Exports to the region rose 71% year over year, reaching more than 110,000 vehicles in November. Europe wasn’t far behind, with shipments climbing 63% to nearly 43,000 cars, even as Chinese automakers navigate tougher trade rules and higher tariffs.

However, the most eye-catching growth came from Latin America and the Caribbean. Exports to the region more than tripled, soaring 283% from last year to over 35,000 vehicles. The surge shows just how quickly Chinese EV brands are winning over buyers in fast-growing, price-sensitive markets.

Back home, China’s shift to electric mobility is already complete in many ways. EVs now regularly make up more than half of all new car sales each month, overtaking gasoline-powered vehicles and reinforcing China’s status as the world’s largest and most advanced EV market.

Abroad, timing is working in China’s favour. As some European governments roll back EV incentives and U.S. automakers slow their electric ambitions, Chinese manufacturers are pushing harder into global markets. That expansion hasn’t been easy—vehicles shipped to the U.S. face tariffs as high as 100%, while EU duties range from 17% to 38%—but Chinese brands are finding ways around those barriers.

Instead of focusing solely on the West, they are doubling down on emerging markets. EV sales are climbing rapidly in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam. In Latin America, countries like Uruguay, Mexico, and Brazil are quickly becoming important footholds.

A recent report from clean energy think tank Ember shows just how decisive this shift has been. Since mid-2023, nearly all growth in Chinese EV exports has come from non-OECD countries. Brazil, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia now rank among the top destinations, helped by government policies that encourage EV adoption.

“Emerging markets will shape the future of the global car market,” said Euan Graham, Ember’s Global Electricity and Data Analyst—an outlook that increasingly puts China in the driver’s seat of the EV transition.