Chinese automakers expand presence at Stockholm's eCarExpo

Sweden an important market

That so many producers showcase their electric vehicles in a relatively small market for the automotive business -- Sweden only has some 10.4 million inhabitants -- has an explanation that many may see as surprising.

With 39 percent of the around 290,000 cars sold in Sweden in 2023 being BEVs, Sweden is placed seventh globally when it came to the number of newly registered BEVs, trade association Mobility Sweden said in January.

BEVs accounted for 14.6 percent of the total number of car registrations in the European Union in 2023, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

Last year, the share of newly registered cars in Sweden running solely on combustion engines was down to 40 percent, as 21 percent of cars registered in Sweden last year were plug-in hybrids, according to Mobility Sweden.

Having noticed the declining popularity of combustion engines and anticipating a policy shift such as the EU's ban on new fossil fuel cars, carmakers have started to adapt to the new environment.

Volvo Cars, which was acquired by Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, said in 2021 that its goal is to exclusively focus on manufacturing entirely electric cars by 2030.

Last year, some 16,000 visitors came to the Stockholm expo and organizers expect more for this year's show that will end on Sunday.

The organizers have been trying to keep up with the booming interest for BEVs since their first car show in 2016. The eCarExpo has expanded to the Swedish city of Gothenburg, the Danish capital of Copenhagen and the Estonian capital of Tallinn.

It will make its debut in the Norwegian capital of Oslo this year and in Finland's capital of Helsinki next year.