StarCharge, China's second-largest provider of charging equipment for electric vehicles (EVs), is stepping up its overseas expansion plans amid rising tensions in Europe over tariffs on Chinese-made cars.

The company signed an agreement with French group Schneider Electric to form a venture in Europe to drive the electrification of the continent's automotive industry, a company official said. The venture aims to deliver EV charging infrastructure, photovoltaic inverters, chargers and storage systems in the market.

"There is high demand [in Europe] for premium EV charging facilities and our marriage with Schneider will eventually bring the best solution to local companies and consumers," Evan Feng, chief strategy officer, said in an interview. "As a global leader in energy management and digital automation, Schneider expects our research and development and manufacturing capabilities to benefit the European automotive sector."

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Feng declined to disclose the size of the company's investment.

An EV charging pile operated by StarCharge in mainland China. Photo: Handout alt=An EV charging pile operated by StarCharge in mainland China. Photo: Handout>

The signing adds to evidence that Chinese-developed EV technologies and infrastructure are keeping ahead of their global rivals in Europe. It suggests the European Union's punitive tariffs are unlikely to stop China's leading players in key components and charging facilities from going global.

The EU last month voted to impose additional tariffs of up to 35 per cent on Chinese-built pure-electric cars following an anti-subsidy investigation that began in September last year. The new duties are on top of the standard 10 per cent tariff applied to pure-electric cars made in China. The extra tariffs will be in effect for five years.

"China's EV charging technologies and batteries are the runaway leaders worldwide," said Davis Zhang, a senior executive at Suzhou Hazardtex, a supplier of specialised batteries. "They are welcome by foreign consumers and business partners. It is expected that more research and production facilities will be built abroad."

StarCharge, based in Changzhou in eastern Jiangsu province, operated 450,000 EV charging piles at the end of 2023, while market leader TELD had 520,000, according to industry data.