19/09/2026
At the Paris Motor Show, one out of every three exhibitors is from China. π¨π³
On October 12, 2026, the 91st Paris Motor Show opened at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center. Of the 55 full-vehicle exhibitors, Chinese brands account for 19.
π From 2 to 19
βͺ In 2006, Great Wall and Landwind came to Paris for the first time.
βͺ In 2018, only GAC remained as the sole Chinese exhibitor at the entire show.
βͺ In 2026, Chinese brands are in every hall β BYD, XPeng, Leapmotor, Geely, and Li Auto are all present.
βͺ Of the 19 Chinese exhibitors, more than half are already selling in France.
π¦ They're not selling cheap cars
βͺ Below β¬30,000, there are at least six Chinese models, four of which come with combustion engines.
βͺ Pure EVs face EU anti-subsidy duties of up to 35.3%, while plug-in hybrids are temporarily exempt.
βͺ Chinese automakers are targeting the β¬20,000ββ¬30,000 family car segment β exactly the core territory of Renault, Peugeot, and Dacia.
π‘ Why Paris?
βͺ France is a market where Chinese brands have a relatively low share β about 5.2% cumulatively from January to July.
βͺ Europe overall is at 9.7%, and the UK at 16.1%.
βͺ Volvo, Honda, and Mercedes-Benz, absent for years, have been pulled back in by the wave of Chinese automakers.
Chinese auto exports have moved beyond "shipping cars over to sell" β they're now entering mainstream global markets with channels and pricing to compete head-on. π¨π³