Unstoppable, China's electric car exports up 87 percent in November

JAKARTA - If in the past Chinese-made cars were often looked down on, the situation has now turned around drastically. The bamboo curtain industry has emerged as a serious threat to Western car manufacturers, along with the increasingly aggressive export of electric vehicles (EV).

Data from China's General Administration of Customs showed that electric car exports jumped 87 percent in November. This surge marked the acceleration of the global expansion of Chinese manufacturers, with Latin American and Southeast Asian markets being the main destinations.

One of the markets with the most striking growth is Mexico, as reported by Carscoops, Tuesday, December 30. China's electric car exports to the country soared 2,367 percent in November, reaching 19,344 units.

Although the data does not detail the model that contributes the most, small electric cars such as the BYD Dolphin Mini are said to be one of the driving motors of popularity in the region. Not only Mexico, two Southeast Asian countries are also included in the list of main export destinations, namely Indonesia and Thailand, following China's large electric vehicle market in November. Throughout the month, Mexico imported 17,503 units of vehicles, while Thailand reached 13,517 units.

A similar trend is also seen in the European region, with China's electric car exports to the UK jumping 113 percent in November to 9,096 units. Since the beginning of the year, a total of 121,555 Chinese-made EV units have entered the UK market, up 24 percent compared to the previous period.

The larger figure was recorded in Belgium, during the first 11 months of this year, as many as 195,309 Chinese electric vehicles entered the country. However, this number fell 15 percent compared to last year, indicating a market dynamic that has begun to fluctuate.

Regionally, Asia is still China's largest market for electric vehicles. In November alone, exports to Asia increased 71 percent to 110,061 units, followed by Europe and Latin America (including the Caribbean region).

As of November, Asian countries have imported nearly 1 million units of Chinese-made electric vehicles. However, the main spotlight is on Europe, which recorded a total import of 604,105 Chinese EV units, up 12 percent from the previous year.

This surge is what makes European car manufacturers and policymakers increasingly wary. Because it is considered potentially shaking the local automotive industry as well as tightening global competition in the era of electrification.