STORY: How have China's EVs managed to win hearts and minds of Europeans
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 11/Oct. 29, 2023
DATELINE: DEC. 17, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:48
LOCATION: Stockholm/ CHANGCHUN, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of European cities
2. various of cars
3. various of NIO power swap station
4. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHAN LIND, NIO ET7 owner in Sweden
5. SOUNDBITE 2 (German): HELMUT STETTNER, CEO, Audi FAW NEV Co., Ltd.
6. various of car making process

STORYLINE:

With high quality, innovative designs, and competitive prices, Chinese electric vehicle (EV) brands such as BYD, NIO, Xpeng, Hongqi and Lynk & Co are increasingly winning the hearts and minds of European consumers.

Statistics from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) show that Chinese brands account for almost 4 percent of European Union (EU) battery-electric car sales in 2022, up from 0.4 percent just three years ago. 

The EU imported over half a million Chinese-made cars in 2022, of which around 63 percent were battery-electric.

Johan Lind, a NIO ET7 owner in Sweden, has been impressed with NIO's third-generation power swap station (PSS), which enables NIO cars to undergo quick and automatic battery swap service and electric system checks before it is ready to hit the road again.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): JOHAN LIND, NIO ET7 owner in Sweden
"I like power cars. There has a lot of power in it. And also the power station is really a great way to charge your car very fast and efficiently. It's very easy to do and very easy to book. It's going very fast, same time as you fill up an ordinary gas tank."

With such unique battery swap technology, NIO has made a rapid entry into the German, Dutch, Swedish, and Danish markets since its debut in the European market via Norway in 2021.

While Chinese EV companies and battery producers expand their market share in Europe, major European players rush to cooperate with their Chinese partners to achieve bigger synergy.

In July, the Volkswagen Group strengthened its presence in China with the acquisition of a 4.99 percent stake in local EV startup XPeng. Meanwhile, the carmaker's luxury brand Audi further expanded its cooperation with its Chinese joint venture partner SAIC.

SOUNDBITE 2 (German): HELMUT STETTNER, CEO, Audi FAW NEV Co., Ltd.
"China is growing rapidly in the field of new energy vehicles with huge potential. Therefore, we also expect that from 2026, the number of new energy vehicles in the luxury segment will exceed the number of traditional fuel vehicles. Embracing new opportunities, we quickly developed a strategic approach and implemented a clear electrification strategy in China."

China and Europe are highly complementary and have their own characteristics in terms of technology, production capacity, and supply chains.

With their respective advantages, the closer China-Europe EV collaboration could further benefit consumers and industries, and create new areas for China-EU cooperation.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Stockholm/ Changchun, China.
(XHTV)