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Landed Cost

Landed Cost Methodology - EV Hub Docs

The exact formula, data sources, and assumptions behind every landed-cost number on CNEVhub — transparent, documented, and reproducible.

Landed Cost Methodology

Every number on CNEVhub is produced from a single, documented formula using public tariff schedules, national tax rates, and industry freight benchmarks. This page is that documentation, so you can verify — and reproduce — any figure on the site.

Why we publish this

Most Chinese EV listings show only the factory or FOB price. A car advertised at $14,000 can land in Germany at over $28,000 once duties, VAT, freight, and certification are applied. That gap is the single biggest surprise for first-time importers — and the reason transparency matters.

The formula

landed_price = base_price × (1 + standard_duty) × (1 + countervailing_duty) × (1 + VAT)
               + RoRo freight + customs clearance + certification + registration + inland transport

Duties compound in this order because that is how customs valuations cascade in practice:

  1. Standard duty is assessed on the CIF value (car price + insurance + freight).
  2. Countervailing duty is assessed on top of that (standard duty + CIF).
  3. VAT/GST is charged last, on the duty-inclusive total.

You do not add the rates; you compound them. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in EV importing.

The fixed-cost benchmarks

The variable tax terms come from public schedules. The fixed costs come from industry benchmarks and are held as central estimates:

Fixed costTypical (USD)Basis
RoRo ocean freight$2,000China → North Europe main ports
Customs clearance$350per vehicle
Certification / homologation$3,250ECWVTA or national single-vehicle
Registration$400–$500varies by country
Inland transport$500port → buyer

Producer-specific countervailing duties (EU)

The EU anti-subsidy duty on Chinese BEVs is producer-specific, not a flat rate:

ProducerCVD
Tesla (Shanghai)7.8%
BYD17.0%
Geely (incl. Zeekr, Polestar)18.8%
SAIC (MG, Roewe, Maxus)35.3%
Other cooperating producers~20.8%
Non-cooperating producers35.3%

Source: European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754, effective 31 October 2024, five-year duration.

Where the CVD applies — and where it doesn’t

A critical distinction most calculators get wrong:

  • EU markets: the countervailing duty applies in full, producer-specific.
  • UK, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia: no countervailing duty applies.

This is why the United Kingdom and the Gulf land vehicles dramatically cheaper than the EU — the difference is structural, not incidental.

A note on VAT recoverability

For B2B importers, VAT/GST is often recoverable (via VAT registration in the EU/UK, or GST registration in Australia). The duty and countervailing duty are permanent costs; VAT is frequently a cash-flow item rather than a final cost. Our landed-cost figures show the full VAT-inclusive number, so treat it as the “cash you need at the border,” not necessarily the “final net cost” if you can reclaim.

Assumptions & limits

These are B2B import estimates, not retail quotes. Actual landed cost varies with:

  • Trim and battery specification
  • Port of entry and shipping lane
  • Import volume (freight and certification are volume-sensitive)
  • Currency (USD/CNY, USD/EUR, USD/GBP movement)
  • Homologation route (full type approval vs. single-vehicle)

Figures are refreshed when tariff schedules or tax rates change, and every estimate carries its data date.