(Yicai Global) Sept. 16 -- SAIC Motor has exported 10,000 new energy vehicles to Europe, a market Chinese automakers have recently begun to explore.

Ten thousand MG Mulans have left Shanghai Haitong International Automotive Terminal, heading to Europe this week. The electric vehicle model sells between EUR31,990 and EUR37,990 (USD32,000 and USD38,000) in Germany but is priced at CNY129,800 to CNY186,800 (USD18,600 and USD26,650) in China.

The MG Mulan will be sold in over 80 countries, 20 of which are in Europe, such as Germany, France, the UK, and Italy. The electric vehicle model will snatch market shares in Europe in the fourth quarter and Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Mexico, and South America next year.

China’s automobile industry is growing rapidly to catch up and even overtake traditional European, US, and Japanese automakers, said Wang Xiaoqiu, chairman and president of SAIC Motor. The country will likely become the world’s second-largest car exporter this year, he added.

Automobile exports to Europe from China jumped 204 percent last year, according to statistics from China Customs.

Chinese carmakers shifted their focus from vehicle exports to entering overseas markets by forming systems and organizations and establishing research and development teams there. SAIC Motor, BYD, and Nio are building operations, sales, and R&D branches overseas to provide better services.

To be competitive in Europe, Chinese auto manufacturers need to be able to build systems that include both products and channels, an industry insider said.

China’s automobile exports were stable at around one million units before last year. In 2021, the nation exported more than two million vehicles, exceeding the two-million threshold for the first time, per statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. China exported over 1.8 million cars from January to last month, up 52.8 percent from a year earlier, the CAAM added.

Editors: Shi Yi, Futura Costaglione