CHINESE electric vehicle (EV) exports increased 400 per cent year in the third quarter 130,000 battery-powered sold abroad, according to data from market research firm Counterpoint, reports Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

China's BYD has now caught up with market leader Tesla, accounting for 17 per cent of the global passenger EV unit sales in the third quarter, up from a 13 per cent market share.

"The influx of low-cost EVs from China has been adversely affecting Europe's domestic carmakers," said Jeff Fieldhack, research director at Counterpoint. "This underlines the growing competitiveness in the EV market, which is expected to intensify further."