In September 2026, China's largest car care brand TUHU Car Inc.（途虎养车） agreed to acquire mycar Tyre & Auto from its current owner, German automotive supplier Continental, in a deal valuing the Australian business at A$403 million. mycar operated 279 stores across Australia as at 30 June 2026 and employs more than 1,600 people. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval. After completion, mycar will become part of TUHU, while Continental will continue supplying products to the network as a distribution partner.
For TUHU, the acquisition is the latest step in a gradual international expansion. The company began testing its model outside mainland China in Hong Kong in 2024, before entering Malaysia’s Klang Valley through franchised workshops in late 2025. By the end of 2025, TUHU said more than 10 overseas stores were operating or in the pipeline as it adapted its service model to different markets. The Australian market is a major step up for TUHU, with the mycar deal giving it an established national network from day one and a base to apply its digital, procurement and supply-chain capabilities locally.
In another example of the growing importance of local service capability, Chinese EV brand ZEEKR（极氪） has opened what it describes as the world’s first standalone ZEEKR Approved Repair Centre in Five Dock, Sydney, in partnership with Empire Body and Mechanical Repair. The 2,500sqm facility follows more than 10,000 ZEEKR deliveries in Australia in under two years, strengthening local repair and after-sales capacity for its growing customer base.
(Image source: Zeekr rednote)
Australia offers a sizeable and evolving market for automotive service and repair. The average registered vehicle was 11.54 years old in 2025, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, supporting steady demand for maintenance, repairs and replacement parts. The broader automotive aftermarket contributes more than A$58 billion to the economy.
At the same time, the shift to EVs is increasing demand for specialised repair capability. The AAAA’s 2025 Critical Issues Report found that only 21% of independent workshops were equipped to service EVs, while the industry faced a shortage of around 40,000 technicians.
In August 2025, four Chinese marques entered Australia’s top 10 new-car sales rankings for the first time, with the AAAA pointing to after-sales service, parts availability and technical support as increasingly important to long-term customer confidence.
TUHU is part of a broader overseas expansion by Chinese automotive service platforms. KZMALL（快准车服）, for example, had taken its parts and service model to around 15 countries by 2025, including Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Mexico and Chile. Its overseas catalogue had grown to more than 20,000 SKUs, supported by digital systems, logistics, training and local service networks.
(Cover image: Tuhu car care Malaysia Facebook)