Ana Fernandez, a partner in a start-up company who lives in Setubal, southern Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal, bought a BYD Seal in the first half of 2025. In her opinion, this electric car is significantly better than the original fuel car in terms of stability and driving quality. The overall feeling is more advanced and more relaxed, and it also has "cool features."

For more and more Portuguese consumers, Chinese electric vehicles are becoming a realistic and rational choice, with increasing market recognition.

According to the latest data released by the Portuguese Automobile Association, in the first 11 months of 2025, pure electric vehicles accounted for 22.9% of total new car registrations in Portugal, close to 25% of gasoline vehicles, and much higher than 5.7% of diesel vehicles, highlighting the speed of Portugal's transformation to electric travel.

According to statistics, in November 2025, BYD led the Portuguese electric vehicle market with 645 registrations, a significant year-on-year increase of 119.4%. In the first 11 months of 2025, BYD's cumulative registrations of electric vehicles in Portugal reached 4,477, an increase of 90.5% compared with the same period in 2024, reflecting strong market demand for its expanding pure electric and plug-in hybrid models.

At present, the American electric car brand Tesla still leads the country in terms of annual cumulative registrations in Portugal, but the gap between Chinese brand electric cars and it is constantly narrowing, and it is transforming from an "alternative option" to an important force in shaping the Portuguese automobile market.

An executive from the Salvador Caetano Group, one of the largest distribution groups in Portugal and an agent for many Chinese electric vehicle brands, said that the advantages of Chinese electric vehicles in the Portuguese market are more reflected in aspects such as quality, technology, design and cost-effectiveness. He believes that technological design, competitive vehicle costs and cost-effective configurations make electric vehicles from Chinese brands such as BYD very attractive to Portuguese consumers.

José Vieira, a 27-year-old programmer, lives in downtown Lisbon. In November 2025, he sold the gasoline car he had driven for many years, and after comparing a variety of European and American models, he finally purchased a BYD "Dolphin". Vieira said that for him, vehicle configuration, quality and cruising range were the decisive factors in his choice.

Industry insiders pointed out that the choices of Portuguese consumers are changing amid intensified competition, price fluctuations and the increasing competitiveness of Chinese brands.

As consumers’ acceptance of Chinese electric vehicles continues to increase, the appeal of other emerging brands in the Portuguese automobile market is also increasing. According to statistics from the Portuguese Automobile Association, from January to November last year, a total of 210 Leapmotor vehicles were registered in Portugal, a total of 785 vehicles were registered by Xpeng, and a total of 484 vehicles were registered by Polestar, a company controlled by a Chinese company.

In the view of Bernard, Secretary-General of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the performance of Chinese electric vehicle brands not only demonstrates their technological competitiveness, but also reflects their increasingly important role in shaping sustainable travel in Portugal, bringing more choices, innovation and affordability to the market, which not only benefits consumers, but also is conducive to Portugal's transition to electric transportation.