China demands stricter control over electric car exports: it is afraid of damaging its image

The exports of electric cars from China are growing, and this is well known in Europe. There are more and more brands that are launching their cars to Europe, offering a wide variety of models to a market that welcomes them gladly. But the Chinese government is concerned about something that is causing buyers to not trust these vehicles arriving from the Asian country very much.

Chinese cars today have a fairly high quality, considering the price paid for them, but some brands have a problem: they do not have adequate after-sales service. A problem that affects the perception of these models and makes users careful when deciding to buy one of these electric models.

To prevent vehicles that lack sufficient commercial backing from being launched onto the international market, to be serviced once sold. With this stricter control, it will be possible to monitor the quality not only of the vehicle being exported but also of the after-sales service available in the destination country.

It is a serious problem, since the lack of this after-sales service and of a support network leaves buyers of these cars abandoned, and faced with any problem they are left with an unusable vehicle. Something that causes a bad image that is not associated with one specific brand, but with “Chinese cars“.

Combustion-engine vehicles and plug-in hybrids already have this type of control, but electric vehicles have so far been exempt from this requirement. Now, officials will be able to demand a level of quality, and if they do not reach it, they will not be allowed to be exported.

Increase in exports from China

This measure comes as the figures for electric vehicles exported to third countries have grown considerably. So those responsible for these exports want the image and reputation of Chinese manufacturers to stay high and confidence in these products as well.

These measures will take effect on 1 January 2026 and will ensure that each of the 10 million vehicles to be exported from China to other countries has after-sales support that accompanies the buyer at all times and provides assistance comparable to that offered by European brands.

The Chinese automotive industry is very powerful and will become even more so. In China, there is one car per 1,000 inhabitants, so it has a very high margin for growth. For comparison, in Europe there are 641 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. In the United States, this figure rises to 860 cars per 1,000 inhabitants. So we can get an idea of the importance of this industry and how much it may grow in just a few years.