OLX Report Shows Chinese Brands Driving Global EV Growth

A report from OLX Group titled "The Great Acceleration: East Meets Electric" reveals that consumer demand for electric vehicles (EVs) grew at double- or triple-digit year-on-year rates across France, Romania, Portugal, Poland, and South Africa as of June 2026. France recorded the fastest overall growth in EV leads at 206 percent, while also seeing the strongest surge in demand for Chinese brands at 276 percent. Portugal emerged as the most mature market, with EVs accounting for 14.9 percent of leads.

Chinese manufacturers, specifically MG and BYD, are credited with expanding the market by offering vehicles at more accessible price points. While an initial spike in demand followed the outbreak of conflict in Iran in February 2026 due to energy security and fuel cost concerns, the trend has since become structural.

In South Africa, EV leads increased by 154.6 percent. However, consumer interest there remains concentrated on petrol and hybrid SUVs, with only 0.3 percent of demand for Chinese brands being electric. Despite this, Chinese brands hold the largest overall consumer demand share among the five tracked markets at 7.31 percent.