大众CEO呼吁欧盟速对华插混车加征关税

During the 2026 interim financial results call on July 24, Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Bloom publicly called on the European Union to swiftly impose high tariffs on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) originating from China. This move aims to counter the impact of the rapid expansion of Chinese brands in the European PHEV market—in the first half of this year, sales of Chinese PHEVs reached 208,368 units, capturing a market share of 27.3% .

According to data from market analysis firm Dataforce, the three best-selling plug-in hybrid models in Europe are all from Chinese brands : BYD Seal U tops the list, followed by BYD Atto 2, and Jetour 7 in third place. Meanwhile, last year's sales champion in this segment, the Volkswagen Tiguan, has slipped to fourth place.

Bloom emphasized, "We have no time to waste." He pointed out that the Volkswagen Group had just lowered its 2026 revenue forecast, mainly due to rising costs from high US tariffs and increasing competitive pressure from Chinese automakers . He hoped that EU politicians could reach a consensus on relevant protection measures in the coming months, "which will bring the European automotive market back to a level playing field."

Bloom argues that the new tariff structure for Chinese PHEVs should be designed with reference to the current tariff rates for pure electric vehicles in China: that is, an additional 35% countervailing duty on top of the base 10% import tariff . "The regulatory mechanism for pure electric vehicles has been effective, and we are competitive in terms of price; however, an effective check and balance has not yet been formed in the plug-in hybrid sector."

A June 19 report in the German business daily Handelsblatt, citing senior officials and industry sources, stated that the EU is indeed assessing the possibility of imposing additional tariffs on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) from China. It is worth noting that PHEVs are still considered by the EU as an important transitional technology for achieving carbon neutrality, and many countries offer purchase tax incentives, which objectively weakens the price advantage of traditional gasoline-powered vehicles .

Data shows that in the first half of 2026, Chinese brands sold 685,990 new cars in the European market , a surge of 101% year-on-year, far exceeding the overall market growth of 5.9%, and increasing their market share from 5% in the same period last year to 9.5%. Bloom admitted, "Chinese competitors are facing enormous pressure at home, and exports have become their only way to maintain growth."

In addition, Bloom urged the accelerated implementation of the proposed “Made in Europe” industrial policy, which includes measures such as localization requirements, targeted financial support, and regional capacity-linked incentives to strengthen supply chain resilience and reduce dependence on foreign countries.

It's worth noting that while Volkswagen is considering importing its own-brand low-priced models from China for sale in Europe, Bloom has made it clear that it will not follow the lead of Stellantis and Ford—that is, opening its European factory capacity to Chinese automakers. Ford and Geely have already announced a joint venture at their Valencia, Spain plant to produce electric vehicles; Stellantis will also begin manufacturing Leapmotor vehicles at its Spanish plant this year.