European and Chinese automakers are unveiling as many as 60 new models at the Paris Motor Show this week, in what Reuters calls an intensifying fight for car buyers’ attention across the continent. The headline surprise came Sunday evening, when Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa promised attendees they would “witness the reinvention of a European icon” — an affordable, retro electric version of the legendary Citroen 2CV, aimed squarely at fending off Chinese competition.
Stellantis bets on a retro electric icon
Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker and parent of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge in the US, is launching six new models across its European brands at the show and unveiling nine concept cars — a remarkable turnaround after years of keeping a low profile at European auto shows, according to Reuters.
The centerpiece is the retro electric 2CV. The original Citroën 2CV, produced from 1948 to 1990, was one of Europe’s most beloved people’s cars — a minimalist, affordable runabout that motorized France in the postwar years. Reviving it as an affordable EV is Stellantis’s answer to the wave of low-cost electric vehicles arriving from China.
“Our great brands never stand still,” Filosa said at the Sunday evening event, according to Reuters. Stellantis has not yet released pricing, specifications, or a production timeline for the electric 2CV, and those details remain unconfirmed at the time of writing.
The move fits a broader European strategy: fight the Chinese on price with home-grown, factory-built affordable EVs. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume sounded a similar note at his own Sunday event, welcoming progress in EU-China trade talks but adding that “Europe must still ensure a level playing field in its own markets,” Reuters reports. “Those who sell here should compete under comparable conditions and create jobs and value here in Europe too,” Blume added, at a venue festooned with blue EU flags.
Around 20 Chinese brands — double the 2024 presence
The reason for the urgency is on the show floor. Around 20 Chinese brands are attending this year’s Paris Motor Show, including BYD and Chery, double their presence at the last Paris show in 2024, according to Reuters. They arrive as China’s automakers face a grueling EV price war and falling sales at home — car sales in China, the world’s largest car market, fell 20% in the first half of 2026, increasing the pressure to grow sales overseas.
Chinese brands have gained share rapidly in Europe in the last three years. And as the US market is effectively closed to China’s auto industry, Europe is the top priority for its automakers. “If they drop exports in Europe they die because they can’t make the money elsewhere,” said Francois Roudier, secretary general of the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, in comments to Reuters.
Alongside established players like BYD and Chery, this year’s show features new Chinese brands like Aito, while state-owned Changan will launch two new brands — Nevo and Avatr — at the event, Reuters reports.
Major Chinese automakers are also moving to build cars in Europe. In July, Geely Auto said it will produce electric SUVs at a Ford Motor factory in Spain. Speaking at an event on a floating gallery on the River Seine on Sunday evening, Geely Auto CEO Alex Nan emphasized the automaker’s deepening partnership with French automaker Renault and the company’s “commitment to Europe,” according to Reuters.
That manufacturing shift is being driven partly by policy. The EU imposed tariffs on Chinese-made fully electric vehicles in October 2024, and the European Commission is working on legislation that would include “Made in Europe” provisions mandating minimum local content in EVs to gain access to large parts of the EU’s car market, Reuters reports.
This year’s show comes just days after the EU announced a deal with China that could cut Chinese imports of hybrid vehicles to the bloc by more than half, though it did not provide details on how the agreement will be implemented, Reuters reports. According to a client note issued by Jefferies on Sunday, the EU-China deal could hit BYD, Chery, and state-owned SAIC’s MG brand hardest, as between them they accounted for 90% of Chinese-brand hybrid sales in the EU in the first eight months of 2026.
The Paris show’s revival owes a lot to the very brands now challenging Europe’s incumbents. Like other Western car shows, Paris had been in decline until Chinese automakers started showing up in Europe in force four years ago, Reuters notes. Now the question is whether Europe’s legacy automakers can reclaim the spotlight they once owned.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What did Stellantis announce at the Paris Motor Show 2026?
Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa teased an affordable, retro electric version of the iconic Citroën 2CV, promising attendees would “witness the reinvention of a European icon.” The company is also launching six new models across its European brands and unveiling nine concept cars at the show. Pricing and production details for the electric 2CV remain unconfirmed.
Which Chinese automakers are at the Paris Motor Show 2026?
Around 20 Chinese brands are attending, including BYD and Chery, double their presence at the 2024 show. New entrants include Aito, while Changan is launching two new brands — Nevo and Avatr. Chinese brands have gained share rapidly in Europe over the last three years, per Reuters.
Why are Chinese automakers pushing so hard into Europe?
Car sales in China fell 20% in the first half of 2026 amid a brutal EV price war, and the US market is effectively closed to China’s auto industry — making Europe the industry’s top priority for exports, according to Reuters.
What tariffs does the EU impose on Chinese EVs?
The EU imposed tariffs on Chinese-made fully electric vehicles in October 2024 and is working on “Made in Europe” legislation that would mandate minimum local content for EVs to access much of the EU car market. Days before the show, the EU announced a deal with China that could cut Chinese hybrid imports by more than half, though implementation details were not provided.
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