Tesla gets outsold in Spain by upstart Chinese brand Omoda

Chery’s Omoda outsold Tesla, Jeep and Fiat in Spain last month, a promising sign for the Chinese automaker’s ambitious push into Europe.

Omoda sold 744 new cars in August, an 8,167 percent increase over the nine cars registered in August of last year, according to Spain’s Anfac.

Its models include the €28,000 ($30,900) Omoda 5, a combustion engine SUV that has a pricier electric sibling.

The Omoda sales push started with its official launch in Spain earlier this year. Chery, BYD and Geely are among the Chinese automakers expanding in Europe amid a bruising price war at home.

They are arriving just as new European Union tariffs on electric cars imported from China amplify the impact of a broader slowdown for EVs.

Chery is using Spain as a base for its wider expansion in the region. By the end of this year, the company hopes to start production of electric Omoda SUVs at a former Nissan factory near Barcelona’s cargo port, which should help the company avoid the EU duties.

The automaker is also scouting sites for a second European location.

Tesla, which offers only EVs, registered 549 vehicles in Spain last month, according to Anfac, whose full name is the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers.

Jeep and Fiat sold 532 and 305 vehicles in the country, respectively.