Overview

• Industry data show a surge in Chinese plug-in-hybrid shipments to Europe in H1 2025—about 33,000 registrations, up 364% year on year—with BYD around 20,000 and Lynk & Co about 4,000 as MG shifts away from BEVs.
• The current EU anti-subsidy duties apply only to battery-electric cars, and extending them to plug-in hybrids would require a separate proceeding that Brussels has so far avoided.
• Analysts warn of an oncoming price fight, citing examples such as the MG HS PHEV at roughly €28,000 versus about €40,000 for a comparable VW Tiguan plug-in hybrid.
• Manufacturers are also localising production to neutralise duties, with BYD building plants in Hungary and Turkey and Volvo shifting EX30 output from China to Belgium.
• German market signals highlight strain, as BEV self-registrations rose to 65,401 in H1 2025 and CAR’s read of KBA data shows Tesla sold about 10,000 cars through July with a sharp share decline.