The EU has new plans to limit the flow of Chinese-made goods into the continent to address its massive trade imbalance with China. China exported more than $7.5 billion worth of electric vehicles to the bloc in the first half of this year, nearly three times as much as during the same period last year. An estimated 800,000 Chinese-made fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are expected to be sold in the bloc this year. But the EU’s new restrictions come as rising fuel prices worldwide drive a surge in demand for electric vehicles. The question now is whether European automakers can fill the gap left by Chinese imports.
Hard Numbers
EU puts the brakes on Chinese EVs
Will Fitzpatrick
By Will FitzpatrickOctober 12, 2026
Will Fitzpatrick
Will Fitzpatrick is a multimedia reporter and producer at GZERO, where he does a little bit of everything: writing for the GZERO Daily, creating social videos, producing GZERO World, and whatever else the news cycle throws his way.
Before GZERO, Will worked in documentary film on both the production and post-production sides, including on Everest: The Other Side and on The First Wave. He has also directed and produced two short documentaries of his own. Outside the film world, Will has worked as a freelance journalist, with reporting that has taken him from the dhow workshops of Oman to the mountains of Patagonia, with plenty of stops in between. He’s especially interested in the niche, hard-to-reach, and underreported stories that reveal something bigger about how the world works.
Will studied economics and world politics at Hamilton College and received his Master’s in journalism from New York University. When he's not reporting, you can likely find Will tending to his oyster farm, on a bike, or somewhere outdoors.
