u/psychoDuckTune

BYD have big plans for Europe, with up to three factories in Hungary, Turkey and maybe even Spain.

The ID.3 Neo is still a solid all-rounder in Europe, but the competition has shifted fast. Chinese EVs like the Atto 3, Leapmotor B05 or MG4 now cover pretty much every angle of this segment.

It’s a short list, with just five trucks currently available: the Maxus eTerron 9, Maxus T90, KGM Musso, Isuzu D-Max, and Toyota Hilux.

Here in Europe, it’s almost like a Eurovision contest, complete with a Chinese contender. On the other side, the US list looks more like a Tesla fan club, with three Tesla models in the top 10.

Just wrote a piece on EVs I personally wouldn’t buy because of poor Euro NCAP ratings. Mainly about the Dongfeng Box and Dacia Spring, but also why modern safety ratings are more nuanced now.

Leapmotor is currently running a pretty aggressive leasing promotion in Germany. The T03 starts from €49/month, and the B10 is advertised from €149/month.

On paper, those prices look extremely low for brand new EVs, but there’s a catch. Those prices assume you qualify for the full German EV subsidy and that the leasing setup lines up exactly as advertised. If not, the real monthly cost can end up quite a bit higher.

Not a like-for-like comparison, but more of a German premium 7-seat EV vs Chinese 7-seat EV reality check. Five years ago this would’ve sounded completely absurd.

Among other things, I discuss the difference between LFP and NMC batteries, the practical reality of charging to 100%, software buffers, the range paradox, and long-term ownership costs. It’s basically a look at how these chemistries behave in real-world EV use, not just on paper specs.

Q1 2026 was absolutely wild for EVs in Europe, over 723,000 BEVs registered in just three months. That’s officially the strongest start to an EV year ever here.

Tesla is still comfortably on top, but the gap is definitely starting to close.

Chinese EV makers are starting to build more of their cars in Europe instead of just exporting them from China.

BYD, Xpeng, GAC Aion, Chery and Leapmotor already have or are setting up production in Hungary, Austria and Spain, mostly because of EU tariffs on Chinese-made EVs.

It’s still a mix at the moment. Some factories are mainly assembling imported parts from China, while others are starting to bring in local suppliers and production processes.

The BYD Seal U sits between the smaller Atto 3 and the larger Sealion 7, and it’s actually one of BYD’s most important cars in Europe right now. A small detail that often confuses people: the “U” in Seal U actually stands for “Utility”, which fits its positioning quite well. It’s designed more as a family-focused SUV than a sporty EV.

As good as the Renault 5 is, I think having an interior camera monitoring for fatigue or distraction is a bit of a facepalm decision.