(Yicai) Oct. 8 -- The European Union’s recently passed motion to impose high tariffs on Chinese battery-powered electric cars will not affect the price of BYD and SAIC Motor’s new energy vehicles in Europe for now, the Chinese auto manufacturers said recently.

The EU vote will not impact the price of SAIC-owned MG Motor’s cars that are sold in France this year, regardless of the results, MG Motor France said before the vote took place on Oct. 4. But excessively high tariffs will tame Europe's green energy transformation.

Prices in most EU countries, such as Italy, will most likely stay unchanged until the end of the year, Shenzhen-based BYD said.

The European Commission voted on Oct. 4 to levy anti-dumping tariffs on EVs imported from China for the next five years. The tariffs subject BYD’s autos to an extra 17 percent tax, Geely’s to 18.8 percent and SAIC’s to 35.3 percent, while US car giant Tesla’s China-made vehicles have the lowest additional tariff of 7.8 percent. The final implementation terms will be published by Oct. 30.

Technical teams from both sides will continue negotiations on Oct. 7, China's Ministry of Commerce said the same day.

Seat will do its best to prevent future price hikes of its made-in-China Cupra Tavascan EVs, the unit of Germany’s Volkswagen Group said. Prices of all Tavascan cars delivered this year will remain unchanged.

Already, the registration of Chinese EVs in Europe slumped 48 percent in August from the year before to the lowest level in the past 18 months, impacted by uncertainties over the new tariffs, according to data from auto consultancy Jato.

The EU is only imposing extra import duties on made-in-China battery-powered electric vehicles, Bill Russo, chief executive at market research firm Automobility, told Yicai. This means the direct impact is limited to Austin-based Tesla and BYD, the two auto vendors that plan to sell BEVs in Europe. Other car makers can offset the impact by selling fuel-powered cars or hybrid EVs there.

In the long run, setting up plants in Europe may be the ultimate solution for Chinese auto manufacturers, according to Japanese investment banking firm Nomura Securities.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor