“Capture the European market”… Korea, China, Buddhism electric vehicles clash in Paris

European auto brands, who are trying to ‘protect’ the market, and Chinese auto brands, who are trying to ‘take over’ the market, will clash for a week at the ‘Paris Motor Show’. Kia is also seeking to expand its market share in the electric vehicle market, starting with the entry-level electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) ‘EV3’.

The Paris Motor Show, with 126 years of history, opened at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on the 14th (local time). While European car brands are experiencing sluggish performance due to the onslaught of Chinese cars, French, Chinese, and Korean car brands are competing for the European market, which has an annual capacity of 12 million units, by unveiling strategic European electric vehicles.

The Paris Motor Show has a clear competitive structure between Chinese cars and European brands that are trying to increase their influence in the European market, starting with the participating companies. At this event, European brands such as French brands Renault and Peugeot, BMW, Volkswagen, Audi, and Skoda set up exhibition halls. Unlike the previous event, a large number of Chinese companies such as BYD, Guangzhou Automotive (GAC), Leap Motor, and Xiaopeng also participated.

Europe is the first market that Chinese automakers are actively targeting as they turn their eyes overseas. According to the European Automotive Industry Association (ACEA), the market share of Chinese cars in pure electric vehicle sales in the European Union (EU) surged from about 2.9% in 2020 to 21.7% last year. Last year, the number of finished cars imported from China to the EU was 359,271, while the number of vehicles exported from the EU to China was 706,976, a gap that has doubled.

Recently, Volkswagen, a German national company, was at risk of closing its domestic plant due to declining sales in China. Finally, on the 4th, the EU passed a bill increasing the tariff rate on Chinese electric vehicles to a maximum of 45.3%.

In a time of crisis, European brands unveiled one after another small electric vehicles optimized for the European market at the Paris Motor Show. Renault, which had the opportunity to hold a motor show in its home, unveiled the ‘Renault 4 E-tech Electric‘ for the first time in the world this morning. This vehicle is Renault’s eighth pure electric vehicle and SUV. ‘A390 Beta’, an electric sports concept car from sports car sub-brand ‘Alpin’, also appeared at the exhibition hall.

Another French brand, Peugeot, unveiled its compact electric vehicle ‘E-408’ for the first time. Volkswagen displayed the ‘ID.GTI’, an electric concept car for the best-selling compact hatchback ‘Golf’.

Chinese auto brands have set up exhibition halls focusing on electric SUVs. BYD, a leader in the global electric vehicle market, unveiled the luxury SUV ‘King U8’. The U8 is a premium model sold in China at a price in the mid-100 million won range, and is equipped with a large number of electrification-related technologies, such as ‘tank turn’, which can turn 360 degrees in place.

Hyundai Motor Group prepared the European debut stage for Kia’s compact electric SUV, EV3, at the Paris Motor Show. It has been six years since Kia participated in the Paris Motor Show. EV3 recorded a driving range of 600 km on a single charge based on European certification (WLTP). The selling price is around 40 million won, and it is evaluated as having sufficient competitiveness in the European entry-level electric vehicle market. It is already a candidate for the first list of the ‘2025 European Car of the Year’ selected by a leading automobile media outlet in the EU.

[박제완 기자]